Artie & Greg
by nherbie
Summary: Shelton Universe #4. Admiral Shelton brings a case to NCIS involving children being abducted off the streets. Callen goes undercover with Deeks in the homeless community of L.A. to stop it. Based on prompts from Yellowcallalilly and a French Reviewer.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Deeks absently placed a foot against the dashboard as he reached for his phone. Not bracing oneself when Kensi Marie Blye was driving was asking for bruises, or worse. They were on their way into work for the day, when the notification for a new text had gone off on both their phones. There was no way he wanted her reaching for hers while driving. He swiped the phone open and read the message.

"Okay, that was Eric. Hetty and Granger want us at the boatshed ASAP." He nonchalantly pushed his foot harder against the dashboard as his fiancé took a hard right, now heading towards the boatshed instead of the Mission. "You know you could have just taken the next right and still ended up in the same place, don't you?"

Kensi turned and smiled widely at him. "Where's the fun in that?"

He lost himself for a moment in that smile and then shook his head. "Oh, I don't know. Living long enough to make it to our wedding?"

"That would require us to set a date, Deeks. Something you seem loath to do."

"I'm not 'loath' to do so at all! Good word, by the way! Word of the day?"

"You betcha! I think I broke my own record in how early in the day I used it in a sentence!"

"Color me impressed! But back to the question at hand. I am not loath to set a wedding date! We just can't seem to find one that works for everyone."

"Deeks, it's _our_ wedding, it shouldn't have to revolve around others."

"So, you'd be okay if your mom couldn't make it because she'd already booked another one of her cruises that would have her out of the city on that day?"

"Well, no, of course not, but I'm starting to think you want to make sure whatever date we pick is good for everyone down to the cleaning staff at the Mission! Our guest list is getting longer by the minute."

"Hey! You're the one that wanted to invite your sniper training class. Besides, Jeannine and Mikhail both deserve to come to the wedding. Hell, half the time we see more of them than we do any other NCIS agents!"

Kensi tilted her head, raised an eyebrow and made a little "ehhmmm" noise, finding herself agreeing with him. They often worked late nights and were there when Jeanine and Mikhail came by to clean up. Deeks, being Deeks, had made fast friends with both of them. When working late, Kensi found herself looking forward to the animated conversations they had with the two, listening to their stories of their homes and families.

They continued to gently argue about wedding dates, colors and venues until they pulled up to the boatshed. Sam's car was already there as well as Hetty's and Granger's. In addition, a familiar blue Chevy Tahoe was parked in one of the spots. They shared a glance, wondering why Admiral John Shelton would be meeting the team here, or anywhere, for that matter. Both tensed up, worrying that something was wrong with his wife Laura or daughter Meaghan. The Shelton family had become part of the NCIS family and they were very protective of them.

Kensi parked haphazardly and both jumped out of the car. Running in, they found everyone present, including Nell and Eric on the small plasma. Deeks speed walked up to John, held out his hand and pulled him into a hug when John took it. "Good to see you John! What's up? Is it Laura? Meaghan? Is everyone okay?" His worry for John's family came through loud and clear.

Admiral John Shelton returned the hug then let him go and turned to Kensi with open arms and she went right into them. He hugged her hard and then let her go saying. "Everyone's fine Marty, Kensi! I…I have a favor to ask NCIS. I've spoken with Hetty and she's agreed to help." He paused, not sure exactly how to continue.

Hetty stepped in. "Admiral Shelton has come to me with a matter that, while on the surface is personal, underneath is bigger than that. After hearing what he had to say, both Owen and I agree that involvement by NCIS is warranted."

John cleared his throat. "One of my ex C.O.'s came to me. His son…has had issues since he came back from Iraq three years ago. He's tried to help him but he keeps going off his meds. He ends up on the streets most times. Daniel is raising his 8 year old granddaughter, Carrie, alone. His daughter-in-law died in childbirth and his own wife succumbed to cancer ten years ago. Recently, David came back home with a tale of children disappearing off the streets. He insisted it was happening and begged his father to help. Desperate to find a connection with his son, Daniel did just that, he started to look into it, thinking it was just a delusion. When he did, he was stunned at the number of homeless in Los Angeles, many of them service men and women. What he also found alarmed him. Stories of missing children from all manner of people."

He paused and Deeks said. "I haven't heard anything through the grapevine at LAPD about this but I'm not surprised. Most of the homeless don't trust the police, so missing person's reports aren't filed. They fear the police will lock them up or take their children away. Not every person who lives on the streets is there because they're an alcoholic, a drug addict or mentally incompetent. Many are families, down on their luck, forced out into the streets by the economy, convinced that a change in luck is just around the corner."

"Exactly. Daniel went to the police and they told him they would look into it but it seems like nothing was done. A couple of days ago, his son disappeared again, this time taking his daughter with him. Daniel is frantic over what might happen to his granddaughter. He knows David loves Carrie but if there really are people out there stealing children, he fears his son may not be able to keep her safe." John held out a picture of Carrie to Deeks. The detective took it, looking into the face of innocence. A beautiful brunette child, staring happily into the camera. He found himself wondering if this is what his and Kensi's child might look like. He swallowed the lump in his throat and handed the picture to Sam, who looked at it carefully and handed it on, his own family ramping up his connection to this case. Each person took in the precious child that needed their help.

"Why would he take his daughter to the streets?" asked Sam quietly.

"Daniel and I believe he's trying to draw out the kidnappers, thinking he can protect his daughter whilst doing so." Replied John.

"You mean he's using his own daughter as bait? What if he can't stop them? He's not exactly capable." Callen exclaimed. Deeks, too, had tensed up, anything to do with a child striking a chord deep inside him.

"Exactly why NCIS is getting involved. Owen and I are both concerned with the safety of David and Carrie Parkinson, both members of the naval community. Their disappearance gives us a valid reason for our involvement. Our first task is to get them safely home. The second is to stop whoever is grabbing these children off the streets. This is something that impacts every person in Los Angeles, naval or not." Hetty stopped and took a breath.

Deeks beat her to it. "At best, these children are being taken to work in sweat shops. At worst…" He stopped and tried to get his emotions in control, remembering another human trafficking case he had worked on early in his career with NCIS. "At worst, they are being sold into slavery for…for sex. Drugged, underage…" He unconsciously repeated the words he'd spoken to Hetty during that case so long ago, stopping where he had before. Hetty recalled them vividly.

"Mr. Deeks, I believe it's time for Artie to make an appearance. I would prefer you to have backup while out in the field, your choice of whom." Deeks nodded.

"I'll go Hetty." Kensi replied.

"Kens. Princess. I'm sorry but, you can't go with me on this one. I need you to watch my back from here." Said Deeks.

Kensi started to protest and he held up his hand. "There's no one I'd rather be out in the field with, but these people, these people most likely won't open up to a woman. They'll be biased along the line of women being the mother protector. None of them will allow me in if you're with me."

Kensi closed her mouth, knowing he was right but worried about him being out in the field alone. She turned to look at Sam. Deeks again denied her. "Sam won't work either. He's too big, too intimidating. He won't be able to blend into the background. Callen is the only alternative." Deeks looked to his team leader, asking silently if he was in and got an emphatic nod in response.

"It would seem that we have our undercover team, ladies and gentleman. Mr. Deeks, Mr. Callen, please report to wardrobe at the Mission. The rest of us will meet you there."

"Hetty, you know I have my own undercover clothes for Artie. I need to go home and pick everything up. Callen can have wardrobe fix him up."

Callen looked at their Liaison Officer, knowing full well that this case was going to become personal to him. He needed to be sure their detective had his head on straight. "I'll go with Deeks and we'll both meet you at the Mission." Deeks looked at him in confusion, looking him deep in the eyes and then nodded, finally understanding that Callen understood. His own background giving him a unique perspective.

Deeks pulled Kensi into a long, hard hug. "I'll always be back, Fern. I love you too much not to." He whispered in her ear. She hugged him back, leaning up for a passionate kiss, rule be damned. Everyone knew they were engaged so they couldn't be surprised. This case didn't seem all that dangerous and those were the ones that always seemed to end up costing them the most. She didn't want to let go but knew she had to. She stepped back and nodded at him. He turned and looked at Hetty, then Granger and Sam. All nodded at him, giving him their silent support. Turning to John he made a promise. "We'll do everything we can to bring both of them home and stop whatever is going on out there. On that, you have my promise."

John nodded and pulled the young man he now thought of as a younger brother-in-law into another hug. "You be safe, you hear me? I can't, I WON'T, be the one to tell Laura and Meaghan something else happened to you. They've been through enough with you! You're family now and we need you to be safe."

Deeks leaned back and smiled into John's eyes, nodding his agreement, promising, without words, to do his best. He turned to Callen who nodded towards the door. The two left quietly, taking Kensi's car. Sam would take her to the Mission.

Deeks drove saying. "I need to make a pit stop, if that's okay with you?"

Callen looked at him curiously. This would be the first time that he and Deeks had gone undercover together and he _was_ curious as to how it would go. He nodded and Deeks pulled into the first convenience store they saw. He disappeared inside and Callen waited. When the detective came back out with several bags full, he frowned, wondering what was in them. When Deeks got back into the car, he took the bags and started to root through them, finding an eclectic mix of food, cigarettes and personal hygiene items. Perplexed, he looked back up at Deeks who smirked and said. "Gifts…bribes…whatever."

~,~,~,~

A/N – Callen finally found out what G stands for and, according to Google anyway, Grisha translates to Greg in English.

A/N 2 – this was based on prompts from two separate sources. One was a French Guest Reviewer and the other was from Yellowcallalily. Thanks you guys!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam and Kensi watched their respective partners leave the boatshed with trepidation. Neither liked being separated from the person they were used to working with every day. It wasn't like they didn't like working with each other, it was just that they were most comfortable with _their_ partner. Both would be back shortly to complete their disguises but then, they'd be gone for who knew how long. They'd be in constant contact, but it just wasn't the same. It took a moment for Hetty's words to register as she spoke with Admiral Shelton.

"Admiral, what exactly did LAPD do when Daniel Parkinson reported David taking Carrie?"

"They issued an Amber Alert even though, technically, David is still Carrie's legal guardian."

Sam spoke up as he processed the conversation. "Why wouldn't the senior Parkinson have filed for custody of his granddaughter if his son was incapable of caring for her?" His tone was aggressive.

John Shelton nodded his agreement with the NCIS agent. He'd known Sam through Marty for a while now and understood the man's commitment to family. "I'm not sure. I imagine he hoped his son would get the help he needed and get his life back under control. Perhaps he saw taking guardianship of Carrie away from David as giving up on his son."

"That child's wellbeing should have been his first concern!" was the retort.

"I understand that, Sam." John replied, deliberately using the agent's first name. "It's easy to say what should have been done when you're standing on the outside looking in. I'm sure Daniel would do things differently based on what's happened, but that isn't a luxury he has. What's done is done and we need to concentrate on finding Carrie and not assessing blame."

Sam took a deep breath and nodded, acknowledging the admiral's point. Out of curiosity he asked. "What did LAPD say about the Amber Alert? Did they think it would be effective?"

Sadly, John shook his head. "No. If David really did take Carrie into the homeless community, chances are the Amber Alert will be useless. Most don't have access to a television unless they're staying at a shelter and even then it's probable that the news wouldn't register with them. In addition, it's very doubtful that many, if any, homeless have a smart phone. Even if they did, as Marty said, they don't trust authority. For the most part, the alert is a formality. The only chance we have that it would work is if someone from a shelter or mission who are tending to the homeless, happens to see her. We can hope for that but I don't want to count on it, that's why I came to NCIS. She's a beautiful little girl and my biggest fear is that she'll be very attractive to whoever's taking the children."

Sam nodded; this was exactly what he'd feared.

Hetty voiced all their concerns in her typical way. "Bugger!"

~,~,~,~

Deeks pulled up in front of his and Kensi's place and turned off the car. He turned to Callen and said. "You coming in? It may take me a bit to get ready."

Callen nodded and got out of the car. He noticed that Deeks left the bags from the convenience store in the car and followed the man into the house. Once inside, he had to smile. When Deeks had first moved in, he'd picked him up one time when the detective's car had broken down and Kensi'd been unavailable. The place had been neat as a pin. Deeks's OCD about neatness and cleanliness was an ongoing joke at OSP. Now, signs of Kensi had crept in, in the guise of clothes draped over furniture and make-up strewn haphazardly across the coffee table, discarded boots by the door, one lying on its side. Deeks wandered through the living room without giving the slight mess a second thought. Monty appeared and jumped up on his master with the excitement only a dog can show when his person comes home.

Deeks leaned over and rubbed the dog's ears. "You wanna go to work with daddy, Monty? Wanna go see Rondo?" The dog barked and turned in circles excitedly, acting as if he knew exactly what Deeks was saying. Callen wasn't an animal person but he found himself a little jealous of the rapport their liaison obviously had with his dog.

"You're bringing Monty? And who's Rondo?" Asked Callen.

Deeks straightened up and grinned at his team leader, responding. "Yeah, Monty usually goes with me when I go undercover as Artie. It would be suspicious if I showed up without him unless I said he'd died and that's not something I'm willing to tempt fate with, plus it would be hard to explain if I showed up with him later. Rondo belongs to another homeless guy named Chet and I think Monty is in love."

"Your dog? Is in love with another dog named Rondo who lives with a homeless man?" Callen asked incredulously.

"Yup! And by the way, Rondo is a she, regardless of what the name might imply. Not that I would care either way. If Monty were gay, I wouldn't love him any less." He reached down and fondled the dogs ears some more. He then turned and moved through the kitchen.

Callen shook his head and followed Deeks as he opened the slider out into the backyard, Monty running out through the open door with an abundance of energy and racing around the yard, up to Deeks and back around the yard, then back again, ending each circuit with his person. Under an overhang stood a small refrigerator. Deeks pulled it open and yanked out a trash bag. He opened it and the smell hit Callen like a fist. His eyes began to water, he sneezed and then gagged a little. Later he would swear that his toes curled at the god awful smell. "My God, Deeks! Is that the same coat I used on the Angelo abduction?"

"Yup!" Deeks responded with pride. "Kensi won't let me keep him inside so I bought this little fridge and parked it outside. Artie lives here until I need him." He shook out the coat and draped it over the back of an Adirondack chair that sat on the grass. "I'll let him air out a little before we take him back to OSP."

"You know that coat gave me a rash when I borrowed it for that case?"

"You should've asked me first. I would've told you how to avoid that. You need to have on a long sleeve shirt and put on baby powder before wearing Artie."

Callen snorted. "Wish I'd known that back then! Don't you ever wash it, him?" He stumbled over the pronoun.

Deeks's eyebrows rose until they disappeared under his bangs. "Do you really expect me to go undercover as homeless smelling of Tide and Downy?"

"No! No, of course not, it's just that, that's a little over the top."

Deeks looked at Callen and said sadly. "You get used to it, Grisha."

The use of his newly discovered first name floored the NCIS agent and clued him in to the fact that their Liaison Officer felt strongly about the homeless. He knew Deeks volunteered at a couple of shelters when he had free time. "I realize that. I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking."

Deeks tilted his head and assessed the other man. "Have you ever gone undercover as homeless? Other than the Angelo case."

"Of course."

"How long?"

"How long what?" Callen had a feeling the question was more than it seemed and he wanted Deeks to be as clear as possible.

"What was the longest you've been homeless?"

"Undercover? Six days. How about you?" He knew qualifying the answer would be a red flag to the detective. The man played the easy going, happy go lucky surfer, expertly he might add, but he'd seen the sharp intellect under it all and knew very little got by him. He decided to take a chance and hope that Deeks wouldn't pick up on it. He was sorely disappointed.

"Thirty-eight days. What about not undercover?" Was the answer.

"Thirty-eight days? That's a long time to be out on the streets. What was the case?" Callen knew Deeks would see his response for what it was, a deflection, but he wasn't sure he was ready to share that part of his early life with the other man.

"Drug trafficking, murder for hire. It sucked. I didn't shower or surf for the entire length of the case. Did I mention that it sucked?" Deeks stared at Callen. "How long when you weren't undercover?"

"What do you mean?" Callen tried desperately to get out of the hole he'd dug for himself.

"How long did you live on the streets when you weren't undercover?" Deeks wanted to be very clear about what he was asking.

"Why would you ask that?" Callen didn't confirm or deny that he'd lived on the streets as a kid.

"Callen, I've worked with you for years now. I've heard all the bits and pieces. You've let things slip about the bad foster homes. The abuse. I have to think you ran away more than once and lived on the streets. I'm not judging you. You weren't the first abused kid to end up on the streets and, sadly, you won't be the last." He was not going to reveal what Kensi had told him about her living on the streets after her dad died, not without her express permission. For all he knew, Callen already knew and was also keeping her confidence.

Callen swallowed hard and met Deeks's eyes. "About two and a half weeks before DSS swept me up and put me in another home. That was the longest." Feeling a bit cornered, he tried to turn the tables on Deeks, using his own words against him. "How about you? I've worked with you for years now. I've heard all the bits and pieces. You've let things slip about the bad childhood you had. The abuse. What was the longest amount of time you lived on the streets, not undercover?"

Deeks looked Callen directly in the eyes and said. "Not more than a few hours."

"You seriously expect me to believe that?"

Deeks looked away from Callen, his eyes far away. When he had his emotions under control, he looked Callen directly in the eyes and said. "If I was gone too long, I wouldn't have been there to stand between him and my mom."

Callen searched Deeks's eyes and saw only truth. He felt a profound sadness that the man he'd come to count on, had lived that kind of life. He should have been young and carefree, not terrified and alone, the only thing preventing a man from killing the woman he was supposed to love and protect. He cleared his throat and said the first thing that came to him. 'I'm sorry."

Deeks's eyes flared. "Never feel sorry for me! I don't need your pity!"

Back pedaling, Callen said "I don't pity you, Deeks! I've seen the kind of man you've become despite your upbringing. It's something both you, and your mom, can be proud of."

Deeks nodded. "My relationship with my mom improved dramatically after I shot my dad and he went to jail for what he'd done. She became, almost, the person she was destined to be if she hadn't met him. I'm conflicted about what I wish had happened. If she hadn't met him, maybe she would've had an easier life but I wouldn't be here. There are times I wonder if that would have been for the best but then I think about Kensi. If I wasn't here, what would have happened to her? I love her more than life itself."

Callen nodded his agreement. "I know that. We all know that. I have to admit that I envy you and Sam that. The love you have for the women in your lives. Michelle and Kensi are lucky."

Deeks looked at him in confusion. "What about you and Joelle? I thought things were going well? I remember a few months ago you talked about having children with her!"

Callen shook his head. "I'm not sure. Sometimes I think I'm just destined to be alone for the rest of my life"

Deeks was shocked and said the first thing that came to mind. "No one is destined to alone Callen! Very early on, Hetty told me that everyone deserved someone. I've come to believe that and I have to believe that for you. Even if it's not Joelle, then it will be someone else."

Callen was uncomfortable with the emotional side of the conversation. He turned it back to the case at hand. "What do you think about Carrie? Do you think we'll have any luck finding her?"

Deeks understood what Callen was doing and let him get away with it, knowing he would do the same if he were on the hot seat. "I have to believe that we'll find her. Otherwise, what we do has no meaning. We'll go in and we'll find her, bring her home to her grandfather, shut down the trafficking ring and maybe, just maybe, even help her dad. If things don't work out that way, then I know it won't have been for lack of trying."

Callen searched Deeks eyes once again, and once again found the same thing, truth.

~,~,~,~

A/N – thanks to honus47 for the idea that Callen's toes may curl at the smell of Artie's coat.

A/N2 – thanks to anonkp and WikiDeeks's staunch support of Pets of the Homeless (POTH). They offer help in the form of food and veterinarian help for the pets of people who have ended up on the streets. Donations are welcome and well used.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Deeks cleared his throat and said "You want something to drink? I've still got to get some of my stuff together to bring back to the Mission; it'll take me a few minutes."

Callen shook his head and Deeks went back into the house, heading upstairs. Callen followed him but stopped in the living room. The last time he'd been here, it had only been for a few minutes and he hadn't had a chance to take much in. Now, he decided, was his chance to look around a bit. He listened for a moment and could still hear Deeks moving around upstairs. He gave into curiosity and opened the closet under the stairs. What he found didn't particularly surprise him. Besides clothes, there was a pair of roller blades, ice skates, a skateboard, skis and a snowboard, in addition to the surfboard that was propped up against one of the living room walls. He knew Deeks was athletic, just hadn't known how much. He closed the door and wandered around a little more. He _was_ surprised by the sheer number of books in the bookcase. It appeared their detective was quite the reader. He was pretty sure the books weren't Kensi's.

Moving around the room, he found several framed pictures placed around it. Most were recent ones of Deeks and Kensi, a few were of the team in the bullpen, the gym or out after work, one was of a young Kensi with her dad, a newer one with her mom, even one with Julia and Deeks and one larger picture of all of them from Cassie and Paula's wedding. The men were in full top hat and tails, the women in their brightly colored gowns, framed and hanging prominently on the wall. As he looked around at their combined things, he couldn't help remembering how Kensi and Deeks had gotten along when they first met and now here they were, engaged and living together. He was actually happy for them. He could still remember how Kensi was before Deeks came on board, extremely reckless, but now she'd settled down quite well with him as her partner. He continued to wander around and eventually ended up back at the bookcase just in time. Deeks came back downstairs, having changed into clean but ripped and stained jeans along with old ratty sneakers in addition to the aforementioned long sleeve shirt to 'protect' him from Artie, to find Callen looking through the books on his shelves. "You see anything you want to read Callen, just let me know."

Startled at almost being caught snooping, Callen stood up straight and replied. "No, but thanks! I was just curious to see what kind of books you guys liked to read. Very eclectic!"

Deeks laughed. "Any torrid romances you find in there are all Kensi's. The rest are mine. I have no set genre I like to read; just about anything can interest me if it's well written."

"So I see." Callen smiled and told Deeks. "You two really are a pair. I don't know why or how it works. Everything says it shouldn't. Yet you two are one of the strongest couples I've ever seen. Right up there with Sam and Michelle."

Deeks looked at the senior agent, smiling. "You couldn't have given us a higher compliment." He said genuinely, meaning every word.

"So, you ready?" Asked Callen.

"Yup, just need to pack up Artie!" Deeks put the small case he was carrying on the couch and moved back through the kitchen to the backyard. He picked up an airtight tub that Callen had noticed sitting on top of the mini fridge. He tilted his head as he watched the younger man carefully put the smelly coat into the tub and lock it down. He looked up to find Callen watching him with a puzzled expression.

"Kensi won't let me bring Artie in either of our cars if he's not 'smelly proofed'. Her words, not mine." Both men started laughing, any lingering awkwardness from their earlier conversation about whether they'd ever been homeless during their respective childhoods, dissipating.

Deeks picked up the tub and went back into the house, closing and locking the sliding patio door behind him. He picked up the rest of his things and when he called to Monty, the dog bounded up to him with his tail wagging his whole body. "Ready to go boy?" The dog ran to the front door and stood up on his hind legs, gently pulling his leash off the hook Callen hadn't noticed. He dropped back down and brought the leash to Deeks. "Good boy! We'll need to leave this at the Mission when we go see Rondo, but we'll use it for now." He took the leash, snapped it onto the dog's collar and looked at Callen. "We're ready to hit the road!"

~,~,~,~

Deeks stored his things in the trunk and then put Monty in the backseat, buckling him in with a special dog seatbelt. Callen shook his head as he watched how tenderly the man treated his dog, the mutt licking Deeks's face, eliciting some yucks but mostly laughs. Maybe there was something to this idea of having a pet. He got into the passenger seat when Deeks got behind the wheel and started the car to head back to the mission.

Before they could pull away from the house, Callen had to ask the question that had been bothering him. "Why don't you ever talk about your mom Deeks? If she 'almost' turned into the person she could have been, if not for your dad, why wasn't she your next of kin when you were shot? Why didn't we see her after Sidorov or McGonagle got their hands on you? She never visited you either time that I know of." He watched the man carefully and saw him swallow hard but he didn't seem to have an answer. Callen suddenly realized why. "You aren't close to your mother at all, are you?"

Deeks tensed up. He should have known Callen would pick up on that little white lie. He'd told Kensi about his childhood after the fight they'd had in Boston, as she deserved to know all of it if they were going to survive spending the rest of their lives together. He'd also told Laura some of it but she was as close to him as any family, closer than the little family he could claim by blood. But Callen? Callen was a co-worker and sort of a friend. He was sure the senior agent would say the team was family but he, himself, was never really sure where he stood with his team leader. He decided to give him enough to nip this conversation in the bud. Staring forward he said. "You know I shot my dad when I was eleven. He went to jail after that. I have no idea where my mother is. She blamed me for 'breaking up the family' and sided with my dad during his trial. I haven't seen her since. What I told you is what I hope to be true."

Callen hesitated, knowing that the closed off look on the younger man's face promised little to no more information would be forthcoming but, he had to ask. "Have you ever tried to find your mom?" He thought of how long and how hard he'd searched for his own family and couldn't imagine others not doing the same.

There was silence and Callen was sure Deeks wasn't going to answer when the man finally said in a clipped tone. "I did. When I first became a cop I tried to find her. There was no trace. I finally gave up, figuring if she went to all that effort to disappear from my life, then I needed to accept that and move on." He hoped the other man heard the finality in his voice and would also accept that he wasn't going to get any more details and move on. Callen nodded and didn't say anything further. After a few moments of silence, Deeks put the car in drive and finally headed out.

~,~,~,~

The two men walked into the Mission to find Hetty, Granger, Sam and Kensi waiting on them. Monty left Deeks's side and went up to each to say hello. Sam grumbled at the dog, trying to keep up the pretense that he only tolerated the animal. Monty's response to him belied that as the big man scratched the dog in all the right spots. Hetty greeted him warmly and Kensi referred to herself as mommy, generating laughs from everyone present. Granger just looked down at the dog when he reached him. Monty sat at his feet and stared up at him, wagging his tail gently back and forth. When no ear scratch was forthcoming, the dog reached up with his right paw and gently placed it on the man's leg. The entire team watched as the man capitulated and reached down to pat the patient dog.

"Reminds me of the time Mr. Deeks hugged you in the bullpen, Owen! You can't resist either of them, can you?" Hetty gently teased their A.D. He simply scowled back at her as he absently patted the dog at his feet. He declined to respond.

"Where are Nell and Eric?" Asked Callen

"Eric is upstairs in Ops. Nell went to the boatshed to stay with Admiral Shelton. We're going to have one more briefing before you head out. Mr. Callen, please go to wardrobe. Mrs. Karle and I have selected some clothing for you. Mr. Deeks, I assume you already have everything you need?"

"Sure do, Hetty."

"Where's Artie? Tell me you smelly proofed him before bringing him here!" Kensi asked as she narrowed her eyes at her partner/fiancé, taking in the fact that he was only carrying a small case. She heard Callen snort out a laugh as he left to meet with Sheila. Her eyes narrowed further as she watched their team leader walk away from them. Just what had the two of them been up to while out of her sight? She was distracted by Deeks's response.

"Don't worry Fern, Artie's safely locked away in my car. I'll transfer him to whatever vehicle we use to transport the two of us." He grinned at Kensi who found herself grinning back. Artie's presence in their home had been a bone of contention until they'd hit on the compromise of the outside mini fridge. They'd worked it out, per usual.

"Mr. Deeks, I assume you have more prep work to do besides old jeans, sneakers and Artie?" Hetty had seen his homeless persona once before and had been amazed at how different he looked. Even with all her experience, she would pass him on the street without recognizing him.

"I do. I'll be back in a few." He left to hit the men's room and apply his homeless gear. The others went to their respective desks to wait until the two men were back. Monty followed Sam and Kensi, electing to sit by Sam's desk, eliciting a smirk from Kensi. She knew the man had finally fallen for the mangy mutt, as he called him. She bit her tongue as she watched Sam softly talking to said mutt, telling him what Kamran was up to, the dog looking up at him as if he understood every word.

Callen was the first to come back, dressed in old ratty clothes and looking nothing like a federal agent. Sam looked him up and down and said "Game recognizes nothing!" referring back to the Clarence Fisk case several years ago.

Callen smiled back at him. "What's the matter, butterfly? Not enough chutzpah for you?"

"G, you are so far gone from chutzpah or panache, you're not even on the same planet!"

"Maybe a gold chain?"

"Yeah, no."

Callen opened his mouth to respond but was distracted when Deeks returned. He'd applied a fake long, scraggly beard and was wearing a knitted hat to tame his blonde hair. He grinned at his teammates, displaying a set of rotted teeth that made Kensi shudder. She'd seen them up close and personal more than once. She already missed his nice white teeth. Her teammates on the other hand, had never seen them. The few times he'd gone undercover as homeless with anyone but Kensi, he hadn't bothered with the device.

Sam opened his mouth but nothing came out. He pictured Deeks wearing Artie with this current get up and knew he would walk right past him without having the faintest idea it was him. Callen tilted his head and said. "Wow! LAPD really goes all out to dress their undercovers, Deeks!"

"LAPD had nothing to do with these." Deeks pointed at his mouth. "I bought them myself. They're molded to my own teeth and I hardly even notice when I have them in. I bought them from a place that does costuming for Paramount. They were a little pricey, but worth it! No one suspects a meth head of being a cop!" He walked up to Kensi and leaned down for a kiss, knowing full well what to expect. She pushed him back and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh hell no! I don't think so Deeks! There is no way I'm kissing that!"

"Oh come on Fern! It's still me!" He teased.

"No. No, it's not." She teased back. Relenting, she reached up and pulled his head down to her, kissing him long and deep, knowing that they may not see each other in person for a while, rules about PDA in the workplace forgotten.

He returned the kiss with enthusiasm until he heard Sam say. "Get a room you two!" They broke apart laughing but a little breathless. They stared at each other for a moment, the laughter gone. Neither liked the fact that Kensi wouldn't be with her partner for this operation. Both trusted Callen but it just wasn't the same.

Hetty and Granger started up the stairs to the second floor. "Time for the last briefing. Everyone up to Ops!" Hetty told them.

The team got up and followed them up the stairs, Deeks looked at Monty who had gotten up with the rest of them and said. "Stay Monty." The dog laid back down with what most would say was a very disgruntled look on his face.

Eric greeted them when they entered the operations center and his mouth dropped open when Deeks grinned at him. "Can you get the boatshed on the plasma Mr. Beale?" When Eric didn't respond right away, Hetty said a little louder. "Mr. Beale?"

Eric blinked a couple times, trying to reconcile the man in front of him with his normally good looking friend and cleared his throat. He entered a command on his tablet and the boatshed appeared on the main screen. He waved at Nell who waved back. She was standing next to the Admiral who was searching the screen for Deeks.

"Where's Marty?" He asked. Nell was also looking at the group, not recognizing the man in the middle until Deeks answered.

"Right here John." Deeks had to smile at the fact that his friend didn't recognize him and John looked shocked to hear the familiar voice coming out of the stranger with the bad teeth on the screen.

He leaned a little closer to the small screen in the boatshed and said. "Marty?"

~,~,~,~

A/N – This chapter was co-written with Honus47, my beta, my friend and a wonderful person. Thank goodness for her, because one of the things that I couldn't get right in this chapter was Callen questioning Deeks about his mom. I'd realized I'd forgotten my own story line and started to mesh season 7 Mama Deeks into it. Way back in the original Cotillion (which was written pre-season 7) Deeks told Laura things about his mom that didn't jibe with what I wrote in chapter 2 of this story. I didn't want to rewrite it so figured I'd have Callen call him on it now. For some reason, this was hard for me. I sent a first version for review, knowing that I wasn't happy with it and was not surprised when I got back the response that it wasn't up to par. I tried again and we both thought the second one was even worse. This is our combined efforts to get this moving along.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Deeks bit his lip to keep from laughing at John as the older man appeared to be trying to magically get to Ops through the monitor in the boat shed. The man's curiosity about Artie was obviously piqued. "John, I think you're going to hurt yourself if you get any closer to that screen."

The Admiral laughed and pulled back to a normal distance. "It's just that I've never seen you made up for an undercover operation before. Laura and Meaghan aren't going to believe me!" A thought popped into his head and he looked at Kensi. "Kensi, can you take a picture of Marty and G when they're completely dressed and send it to me so I can share it with them?"

Kensi smiled at him and replied. "I'd be happy to. I wish I could be there to see their reactions!" Everyone was smiling until Hetty reminded them why they were there. The room sobered instantly.

"Admiral Shelton, can you share anything else you might know about where David and Carrie could be?"

"Of course Hetty. Daniel told me David was most likely headed to Skid Row."

Deeks closed his eyes and blew out a heavy sigh. "I was afraid of that."

John tilted his head at his 'brother-in-law' and asked. "Why is that?"

"Finding them in Skid Row could take weeks. Plus, there are some areas that are really dangerous. If they stray into one of those, the people we're looking for may be the least of their worries."

"Why so long? Surely it won't be that hard to find them in a couple hundred people?" John had only a vague idea of the number of homeless in the notoriously famous area.

Deeks shook head. "I wish it were that simple. There are no exact counts, as the population is very fluid, but it's estimated that there is anywhere from three to six thousand homeless in that area at any given time."

Everyone except Kensi was gaping at Deeks. While John was perhaps the most sheltered, almost no one on either side of the video conference had any idea of the magnitude of the situation. "Did you say three to six _thousand_?" John couldn't believe he'd heard Marty correctly.

Deeks nodded and continued. "In 2015 a group of volunteers did a three day survey of the homeless in Los Angeles County. The total came in at just over forty-four thousand. With the gentrification of many areas of Los Angeles, that number is only increasing. Add in the people who migrate during the winter months from colder states and the numbers keep spiking."

"Why don't they go to shelters?"

"For all kinds of reasons. First, there just isn't enough space for that many people. Second, as we've said before, many of them don't trust the authorities. Some of the shelters have been known to call Child Protective Services on the homeless families that come in. They believe that they're doing the right thing in removing the child from the street and putting them in foster care but some of those children are taken from loving families and end up in worse situations or never see their parents again. It's a tough call. For most families, it's just easier to stay away and not take the chance. Third, some just refuse to take what they see as charity and fourth, some just aren't capable of getting there."

"How did it get so bad? Surely there are other options for these people?"

Deeks took a deep breath and replied evenly. "What would you do John, if you lived on a fixed income of $600 a month and your rent was $525? You don't have air conditioning during the summer; you don't turn on the heat in the winter. You certainly don't have cable or internet as you most likely don't have a television or computer. You buy day old bread and reduced for quick sale food. You don't turn on the lights when it gets dark to save on electricity. You wash your clothes in the tub or sink because you can't afford what it costs to use the laundromat. Then your landlord informs you that he's raising the rent to $650 a month. You don't have any savings. What do you do?"

"Find another cheap place to live? Get a roommate? I certainly wouldn't see living on the streets as my only alternative."

"Affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to find in L.A. As I mentioned, many of the buildings that offer cheap housing are being bought and converted into luxury apartments or condos that most of us in this room couldn't afford. Finding a roommate who's willing to share a small, run down one bedroom apartment is next to impossible. So you go to a shelter or you live on the streets."

"What about family?"

"Many of these people have no family or have been cut out of their family's lives. Some don't want to be a burden on their children who are already trying to deal with the cost of living here without another mouth to feed."

"Surely the city or state can do something to help these people?"

"There's no money in the budget that would make more than a small dent in the situation. Hell, hospitals and the police department used to add to the situation."

"How?"

"In 2005, hospitals and some law enforcement officials were caught dumping people in Skid Row just to get them off their books."

"You can't be serious!?" This was from Sam. The idea of people who needed help being betrayed by the ones sworn to help them, went against every fiber of his being.

"I wish I wasn't Sam. It's all a matter of record. Lawsuits were brought but nothing could really be proved. Only one suit against a hospital was followed through on. In 2007 our state senator sponsored legislation to prevent it. There would be no need for that if it hadn't happened."

"I had no idea." Granger said, feeling overwhelmed a bit by the statistics the obviously passionate detective was spouting.

"Most don't. They see the homeless as weak and selfish, addicts and drunks who are only looking for their next fix instead of trying to find a job like any good, decent person would. Or they think that they're just plain lazy. You'd be surprised at how many of the homeless actually do have paying jobs. Unfortunately, most are unskilled. They just can't earn enough to afford a place to live. The difference between what they can make per hour and what it costs to rent even a studio apartment is daunting."

There was silence as each person digested the information that Deeks had thrown at them rapid fire. Hetty finally brought them back to the matter at hand. "I'm sure everyone will be thinking of the homeless in a different light based on what you've told us Mr. Deeks. For now, however, we need to concentrate on finding the Parkinson's and shutting down whoever is taking these children. It's time for you, Mr. Callen and Monty to get a move on."

"Wait, wait wait…hold on just a minute! You're taking Monty with you?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, Sam. Monty usually goes with me when I go under as homeless. Why did you think he was here today?"

"I thought you'd just brought him with you so you could spend some time together before you left. I figured he'd go home with Kensi." Sam blinked at Deeks, who realized what was going on in the big man's head.

"You're worried about Monty! You're afraid something will happen to him, aren't you? Admit it! You've fallen for Monty's charms!" Deeks said with delight, grinning from ear to ear, the solemnness of the previous conversation lifting a little.

"No! No, I haven't! I..I just don't want to see you distracted by worrying about that mangy mutt of yours instead of having my partner's back." Sam was kind of proud of the way he'd covered what he'd inadvertently let slip. Leave it to Deeks to immediately pick up on it. He was somewhat surprised at Deeks's reaction. The man's face darkened and all humor fled.

"I _always_ have everyone's back Sam. You, of all people, should know that!" Deeks knew the anger he was feeling was out of proportion to what Sam had said, but the previous conversation was still with him.

Knowing this was a sensitive subject between him and the detective, Sam decided it was better to come clean. "I know that Deeks! I'm sorry if it sounded otherwise." He sighed and continued. "You caught me! I'm worried about you taking that stupid dog out on the street. What if someone tries to hurt him?" His very real concern was evident in his voice.

Deeks's anger evaporated. He knew what it took for the SEAL to admit he had feelings for the dog. "No one will hurt him, Sam. Many homeless people have pets."

"That's another thing I've never understood! Why in the world would someone who can't afford a roof over their head, take on the added responsibility and cost of having an animal? Why don't the animal rescues go in and take them away?"

"And do what with them Sam? Animal shelters all over the country are overcrowded. Would it be better to euthanize them?"

"What? No, no of course not."

"Well, that's what would happen. Besides, for many of these people and animals, they only have each other. The love of a dog is unconditional and they make no judgments. Most were strays that had never known a home or the love of a person before. They find each other and it can be life saving for both of them. Many of the homeless will give their animal food before they eat themselves. Hell, most of them take better care of their dogs than some middle class owners. I'm not saying that some don't have pets in order to make people more likely to give them money, but for the most part, it's about having something, someone to anchor them, make them feel like they have some worth."

He paused and then continued. "What do you do when you walk by a homeless person on the street? Do you talk to them or do you just walk by, pretending they aren't there? I've lived like that on more than one occasion while undercover and I can tell you, it made me feel disconnected even though I _knew_ I had a home and family waiting for me when the op was over. It makes you feel…"

"Invisible." Kensi softly finished. Deeks exchanged a knowing look with his fiancé. The others looked surprised at her comment. She didn't elaborate but he remembered their conversation when she'd admitted to living on the streets for a year after her dad died. He remembered telling her he wished he'd known her then and her flat response to that was no, he didn't. He'd been honored that she'd shared that with him, even though he'd already known some of it as Hetty had told him that fact in confidence. He was brought back to the current conversation when Sam asked another question.

"What about veterinary care?"

"There are organizations whose sole purpose is to provide that. I've worked with one called Pets of the Homeless. It's the only national organization that helps with feeding and providing emergency veterinary care to these animals. They take donations and turn them into food and doctor's services, free of charge."

"That's pretty amazing." Granger stated.

"It really is. They do wonderful work and they do it out of the love they have for the animals, not for publicity or to make themselves feel better. They know that these animals are the most important thing in the homeless person's life." He shook himself a little, realizing that they were getting off topic once more due to his passion for this subject. He cleared his throat and said. "Plus, having a dog with me is not something most people would expect from an undercover cop. And you've seen Monty, he loves everyone, even Sam." He couldn't help but get a little dig in at his team mate. "People who wouldn't even consider talking to me, open up when Monty's with me. Kids are drawn to him like a magnet."

"Another thing he has in common with you besides the shaggy look! I get it now, Deeks. I didn't understand before, I guess I never really thought about it. You've given me a lot to think about." Sam put his hand on Deeks's shoulder and squeezed. "Just take care of both of them, and yourself, for me, okay?"

Deeks smiled at him and said. "Always Sam, always."

They all turned back to the plasma and Deeks asked John. "One more thing John, do you have a picture of David and Carrie that you could send us? I'd like to take it with us to show around. We'll just say we're looking for an old friend who might be in the area."

John pulled out his cell and scrolled through some pictures. "Yes, Daniel sent me one when David was home and on his meds. Where should I send it?"

Eric gave him an open email address the Admiral could use and it was immediately sent. "Eric, can you print out two copies please?" Asked Deeks.

"Sure thing!" He opened the picture and sent two copies to the printer that contained photo paper. Getting up, he took both off the tray and handed them to the detective. Deeks looked at the picture of the man and child and thought how normal it looked. He knew from experience that pictures didn't tell the whole story. He started to bend and fold them.

"Marty, what are you doing with them?" Asked John, curious as to why Deeks was mangling the newly printed photos.

"I need to make them look old and worn. It would be suspicious if I turned up with two newly printed pictures if I…we…are going to say we haven't been in touch with David for a while."

John nodded and thought Marty really made sure all the details were consistent. He would never have thought to make the pictures look like anything other than what they were, hot off the printer. That's what made him such a good undercover operative. He started feeling optimistic for the first time that day. He'd known he'd made the right decision coming to these people with this problem.

They finally said their goodbyes to the Admiral, promising to keep him up to date with the situation. Nell said she'd see him out and then head back to Ops. Deeks rubbed his hands together when the screen went black. "Let's get the Artie and Greg show on the road!"

"Artie, Greg and Monty!" Corrected Eric.

"Artie, Greg and Monty indeed, Mr. Beale." Hetty said over her shoulder as they headed down to the bullpen.

~,~,~,~

A/N – Many, many, MANY thanks to anonkp for her help in getting me information on the homeless situation in Los Angeles and the work of Pets of the Homeless (POTH). If you haven't already found it, the site she is a contributing member of, wikiDeeks, is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Eric Christian Olsen, Daniela Ruah, Ernie Reyes Jr. (miss you so much Thapa!) as well as the rest of the cast and crew, have donated items to the site to be auctioned off, the money donated to POTH. She also sent me information on articles such as the one on Intercept called "How Dogs Forge a Bond with Rio's Homeless That is Life-Saving for Both" and the New York Times article entitled "Los Angeles Confronts a Spike in Homelessness Amid Prosperity". Both were very informative and helpful in writing this chapter. Please consider this credit given to both for the information I used.

Most of the statistics I quoted and some of the information about Skid Row came off of an article on WikiPedia about the area. I hope I didn't come off as too preachy, but the information I found while researching this, opened my eyes to a very real and critical situation across our country and the rest of the world. I work in Harvard Square, where one of the oldest universities in the country sits, and never thought I would see any homeless in such an affluent area. I was sadly mistaken.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – Just realized I didn't do the normal disclaimer. So, with a heavy heart I say to you…I do not own NCIS:LA or any of its characters. My own characters, however, are mine, all mine!

A/N2 - thanks to my guest reviewer who caught an error in chapter 2 around prospective vs respective. I fixed it and am placing my author's note here hoping to catch him. Also, thanks for the critiques on Cotillion, I tried to right as many as I could without having to rewrite the whole story!

Thanks, as always, to honus47 for finding my mistakes so you don't have to!

~,~,~,~

Chapter 5

The group trooped back downstairs to the bullpen where Monty studiously ignored all of them until Deeks said "Monty, time to go see Rondo?" The dog leapt up and started wagging his tail furiously as his upset at being left alone downstairs was immediately forgotten.

"Who's Rondo, Deeks?" asked Granger.

"She's Monty's girlfriend, isn't she boy?" Deeks rubbed his dog's ears as both Kensi and Callen laughed. Kensi looked at Callen in surprise and her team leader just nodded at her. They exchanged a small smile as the others looked back and forth between them, knowing that this was something the three shared, but none of them were going to answer the unspoken questions, liking the fact that they were keeping everyone guessing.

Hetty held out a set of keys to Kensi. "Miss. Blye, if you would be so kind as to drop Mr. Callen and Mr. Deeks off near Skid Row?" Kensi took the keys and nodded.

Good byes were said and the three humans and one dog walked out of the Mission to a chorus of "Be safe!" and "Remember your comms!" and "We'll all be here if you need us!"

Parked outside was a black SUV with blacked out windows. Callen was confused. "Aren't we taking Kensi's Audi?"

"Wouldn't do for two homeless people to be dropped off at Skid Row in an expensive car, now would it? You never know who might be watching. We'll sit in the back where we can't be seen and Kensi will drive. I know a place she can pull into and we can get out. It will look like she went in alone and came out alone. We can go out the back and walk from there."

Callen had a momentary seizure at the thought of sitting in the back of the SUV with Deeks wearing Artie. He opened his mouth but Deeks had already seen and interpreted the look that had passed over his face. "Don't worry Callen; Artie won't be making his appearance until we get there." With that, Deeks walked over to his car and pulled out the container carrying the offending article out of his trunk along with the three bags of items he'd bought earlier that day. Kensi opened the hatch and everything was safely tucked away. The two men and Monty got in the back while Kensi took her place behind the wheel. She pulled out of the Mission parking area and took a right, not asking Deeks where they were going.

While driving, the three went over everything one last time. They would both have their earwigs in and would be online whenever they interacted with anyone. Hetty had had Callen's coat fitted with a small camera so that the techies could do facial recognition searches when, not if, they tracked down the person or persons they suspected were taking the children. She had given Kensi one to install on Artie, declaring it would be better for Mr. Deeks to do the placement as he was the most familiar with his disguise. Kensi was of the opinion she just didn't want to be within 10 feet of the "smelly old coat". Deeks pretended to be hurt on Artie's behalf and Callen was amused by the fact that the coat seemed to have taken on a personality of its own. He was surprised when Kensi took a left turn into an old warehouse, realizing that Deeks hadn't given her one single direction during the drive here. He frowned as he wondered what that meant.

Getting out of the car, Deeks opened the hatch and pulled out the tub and bags. "Time to let Artie out of his prison!" He placed the items on a rickety table and cracked the lid on the tub. Both Kensi and Callen could smell it from where they were standing and both moved further away and then further still. Deeks shook Artie out and proceeded to dress, the smell apparently not fazing him in the least.

While he was doing so, Callen turned to Kensi. "Does he have _no_ sense of smell? And how, exactly, did you know how to get here?"

"Oh, he has a sense of smell alright. In fact, it's pretty good. I can never sneak up on him, he claims it's because he can smell my…" She crooked her fingers and made air quotes. "… 'unique scent'. As for how I knew how to get here, I've dropped him off to do his homeless thing before. Skid Row is just down the street. It won't be a long walk."

"The length of the walk isn't what I'm asking about. I'm asking how often 'Artie' comes out of hiding."

Kensi looked at her team leader and just smiled. "That's something you'll need to ask Deeks about."

Callen narrowed his eyes at her but she was supremely unintimidated by it. He pursed his lips at her and she just raised her eyebrows. He huffed out a breath and said. "Fine, I _will_ ask him." He frowned a little as even he heard the petulance in his voice over not getting his way. Kensi just smirked at him some more and he found himself grinning at her, his momentary snit forgotten.

Deeks finished dressing, including rubbing dirt onto his face, hands and the photos of David and Carrie. He then took the button camera Kensi handed him and placed it on one of the buttons of Artie. He tapped his earwig and got Eric in his ear. "Check the camera feed, will you Eric?"

"Sure thing. Okay, can you move it up a little? Right now all we'll get is the unsub's chest unless they're as short as Hetty."

"Dude, you did _not_ just say that!"

"Oh crap!" Eric moaned in his ear. "Why do I keep saying these things without thinking?" Deeks could picture the technical analyst nervously looking around Ops, waiting for Hetty to pounce. Nell was back, sitting in her normal spot next to him and trying hard not to laugh, remembering the camera in the garden gnome that Eric had unthinkingly told their Operations Manager they'd nicknamed the 'Hetty Cam'.

Deeks made some adjustments and Eric was finally satisfied they'd have the best chance to capture the faces of anyone their Liaison was talking with. Deeks signed off and opened the first of the plastic bags. Callen watched with awe as each item disappeared into a pocket in Artie. Deeks opened a box of dog biscuits and gave one to Monty; the rest followed the food and cigarettes. He also noticed a couple small bags of cat treats, some candy, what looked like a deflated beach ball and some balloons. He shook his head, wondering what the hell Deeks wanted with all this stuff. When he was done, Callen saw absolutely no difference in how Artie looked. He caught himself calling the coat by name, even if it was only to himself.

Deeks took off Monty's leash and replaced it with a perfect length of rope that just _happened_ to be sitting under the table.

"You ready G?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Okay you guys, stand next to each other." The two men turned to find Kensi with her phone out and aimed at them. They remembered John's request and moved towards each other. Callen found himself holding his breath as Artie invaded his nose. Kensi grinned and said "Smile for the camera!" As she did so, Deeks moved closer to Callen and put his arm around the senior agent. The look on Callen's face was captured for eternity. Kensi looked at the picture and started to laugh. Each time she looked at it, she started laughing harder until she was holding onto the car to prop herself up.

Callen frowned at her again. "What the hell is so funny?" Kensi couldn't respond so held the phone out. Callen moved up and took it from her hand. The picture on her screen showed him and Deeks in close proximity, Monty sitting at their feet. Deeks was grinning from ear to ear with his arm around Callen whose expression could only be termed as a combination of terrified and horrified. "I see nothing funny about this!"

Deeks peeked over Callen's shoulder at the phone and started laughing himself. "Kens! You have to send that to me!" Kensi grabbed the phone out of Callen's hand and started the process of sending the picture to everyone she could think of, at least those that would have the requisite security clearance.

Callen opened his mouth to order her to do no such thing and realized he had about as much chance of getting her to obey him as he would Sam. He watched as she tapped away at her phone, knowing full well that the picture was being sent to more people than just John and Deeks. He sighed and turned to Deeks. "Let's get going before anything else happens that I'll need to live down."

Deeks grinned and turned to look at his fiancé. She had just hit send and was watching him, all her earlier laughter gone. They looked at each other for a minute and then Deeks smiled. "Don't worry Fern! I'll be back!" The words brought a smile to her face and she pulled in a deep breath. Holding it, she moved to him and grabbed his hair, pulling him down for one last kiss. When they broke apart, she was a little blue around the lips. She moved into safer air and let the breath go, sucking fresh air into her lungs.

"I'm going to hold you to that! You both be careful and listen to Monty. He's probably the sanest one of this little group right now!" Both men laughed and Deeks turned to leave with Monty, Callen following them as Kensi watched until they were out of sight. She sighed and got back in the car. While she hadn't lied to Callen, she _did_ drop Deeks off for a little homeless adventure on a fairly regular basis, this time she had no idea when he'd be back or what the two men she cared so much about, albeit for different reasons, were facing. She sat for a moment, staring into nothing and then started the car, reversing out of the warehouse and heading back to the Mission.

~,~,~,~

Callen followed Deeks as the man made his way assuredly down the broken sidewalk, desperately trying to find some place to walk that was upwind of Artie. While they walked he asked Deeks the same thing he'd asked Kensi. "How often do you do this, Deeks?"

"I come down every now and again. Hone my skills, keep Artie smelling…like Artie. Make contacts."

"And Kensi brings you? She's okay with this?"

"If it keeps me safe on one of my undercover ops? She's all for it. I might need to shower four or five times when I get home before she lets me into our bed or allows me to touch her."

Callen's eyes widened a little. "Ok, TMI! I do NOT need to know that level of detail."

Deeks bit his lip to keep from laughing at the older man, his eyes straight forward. He was thinking of what else he could say to get Callen worked up when he saw the Skid Row City Limits mural coming up. He sighed and buried Deeks under Artie for the foreseeable future. Callen watched as the confident stride he was used to seeing, became a hesitant shuffle. The man seemed to fold in on himself, becoming smaller than he knew Deeks to be. He put a hand out and steeled himself to touch Artie. When his hand was resting on Deeks's arm, the other man stopped and looked at him. Callen blinked a little. This was not the fun loving man he had come to know and care about. This was a man who had seen the seedier side of life and had been ridden down by it. He knew Deeks was good at undercover but this? This was a side he hadn't seen before. The cocky surfer no longer existed. He opened his mouth to say something when Deeks reappeared. "Everything okay there Grisha?"

Callen shook his head and smiled, glad to have the reassurance that his friend and co-worker was still in there. Together they walked past the mural and into a part of Los Angeles that few knew well or even wanted to admit existed. Callen was stunned at the aroma emanating off the area ahead of them. The smell of hundreds or, according to Deeks, _thousands_ of unwashed bodies living in squalor was astounding. He thought back to the various times he'd lived on the streets when he was young. It had been lonely, even terrifying, but he didn't remember this smell. He found himself thinking about Deeks's sad words that you got used to it. He couldn't imagine getting used to this but what if he had? Were things worse now or had he just become immune to it back then? He shook his head, trying to shake away the haunting memories of those times he'd rather forget.

As they moved further in, more and more people started to appear. Most had a nod or a hello for Artie, looking at Callen suspiciously. He tried to emulate Deeks, making himself seem smaller and non-threatening. He was concentrating on that when Deeks stopped, bending over a pile of rags piled up against the side of an old building. He was stunned when he heard Deeks start talking to it, calling it by name. He wasn't sure if it was Polly or Paulie. There was no way to tell gender that he could see. He waited and watched as the pile of rags began to move. Deeks's normal personality reappeared. Callen wondered if he reserved the other, more disturbing one for when he was outside Skid Row and panhandling.

"Artie? That you boy? Haven't seen you in a couple weeks. Where ya been hiding yourself?" Callen still wasn't sure if the gravelly voice was male or female.

"I've been travelling my love. How's things been around here?" Callen heard the real affection in the man's voice. Based on the words spoken, he decided the bundle was female.

"Things been good here. Missed you though!" The bundle of rags held out a bottle of something or other to Deeks.

"No, but thanks. You know that's not my addiction of choice."

"You need to get off them drugs boy, they're going to kill you one of these days!" The irony was not lost on Callen or Deeks.

"I'm trying Polly, I really am."

The eyes under the matted hair suddenly darted to Callen and he was surprised by the intelligence displayed there. "Who's this now?"

Deeks smiled down at her. "This here's Greg. He's a friend and a good guy."

The eyes studied him for a bit and then nodded, turning back to Deeks. "If you say so boy. How long you staying this time?"

"Not sure Pollyanna. I'm gonna play it by ear. I got something for you, one of your favorites!" Deeks reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a package of cheese and peanut butter crackers. Callen's stomach turned but the woman reached out eagerly. She took it from him but then looked up at him suspiciously.

"You didn't steal this, did you? I won't have no truck with no stolen goods."

"Nah, you know me better than that! I got me a new girlfriend, owns a convenience store over on Culver. She takes all the expired and damaged stuff off the shelves and writes them off. Throws them out real careful like, all bagged up nice and sitting next to the dumpster when she sees me come round."

The woman opened the package and made short work of the crackers. Deeks reached into another pocket and pulled out another package. "Put this away for later."

"You're too good to me boy!"

"Have to take care of my best girl!"

Callen sensed something and looked away from the two in front of him, seeing a large man barreling their way. The guy would give Sam a run for his money and come out on top. He tensed and reached out to tap Deeks on the shoulder, not looking away from the coming foe. "De…Artie?" He said softly. When his friend looked up, he lifted his chin to the left.

Deeks stood up, waiting. Callen took up a fighting stance off to his right. The man ran right past Callen, knocking him aside and grabbing Deeks up in a hug. "Artie! Man, we've missed you around here! Where the hell have you been?" He put the smaller man down and was grinning from ear to ear.

"Been here and there Trip! Here and there. Looking to see if the grass is really greener. Wasn't, that I could see. How're things round here?" Callen could hear an undercurrent in Deeks's voice.

"Things are good. Been keepin' an eye on my territory, just like we agreed!" Callen was watching the two carefully or wouldn't have noticed the pack of cigarettes exchange hands.

"Good to know my man, good to know!" Callen felt better, hearing one of Deeks's stock phrases coming out of the man he'd morphed into. The two men drew apart and Deeks introduced Callen. "This here's my friend Greg. He's cool, a little dense but okay!" Callen's mouth dropped open. They had never talked about his character being anything other than normal and he glared at his friend. Deeks gulped a little and turned back to the big man. "Just kidding! He's an old friend who recently hit the streets. Couldn't believe it when I ran into him down in East Hollywood. He's trying to get in touch with another friend of ours who may be down here with his daughter." Deeks reached into his pocket and pulled out the now battered photo and held it out to the man named Trip. "This is a pic of David and Carrie. You seen them around?"

"Nope! I'd remember a pretty little kid like that." The man looked at Deeks consideringly. "Why you looking for him?"

"Just worried about him and his little girl. Been hearing some disturbing things lately."

Trip's face darkened. "If you're talking about what I think you are, I been hearing the same things."

"Little kids disappearing?"

"Yeah! I find out who's doing this, they're going to be sorry!" The look in his eyes said he was miles away right now, his face hard and fierce.

"Trip!" Deeks tried to get the man's attention again. "Trip!" The big man looked down and his face softened. "You need to listen to me! These people? If they're doing what I think they are, they aren't going to be alone! They'll have muscle with them! Armed muscle! You served in Afghanistan and Iraq; you know how important a team is to completing the mission! If you find who's doing this, you don't go in alone. You either set someone to keep watch and come find me and Greg or you keep watch yourself and you send someone else to find us! We'll be there to provide back up, my friend! We're a team!"

Trip hesitated and then nodded. Deeks hugged him again and moved back. "I gotta keep moving. You keep an eye on them like always, right?"

Trip grinned and nodded. "Just like always! Which way you headed?"

"Thinking of going to find Chet. I think Monty's missing his girl!"

Trip laughed and nodded. He reached down and scratched behind Monty's ears as the dog leaned into his legs. "I hear ya Monty! She's a looker, that one!" He looked back to Deeks. "Dodger's on patrol in the next territory! He'll be glad to see ya! Tell him Trip says hey, will ya'?"

"I will. You take care of yourself and you remember what I said! You send word to me and Greg and you don't try to take anyone down yourself, agreed?"

"I heard ya boss! You take care of yourself too!" Once again Callen heard real affection towards Deeks from another homeless person.

"Always!" Deeks turned and leaned down to kiss the top of Polly's head, the woman having watched the interaction between the three men with interest. "You take good care of yourself, you hear me? I don't want to come back this way and have Trip tell me you been misbehaving!"

Polly chuckled and nodded, reaching out to place a kiss on Artie's hand. "I'll miss you boy! You don't stay away so long next time, you hear me?"

"I'll do my best." Deeks straightened and nodded at Trip who nodded back.

He and Callen, with Monty trailing behind, started to walk away. They stopped when the big man called out. "Hey Artie?"

Deeks turned back and waited. The expression on the man's face was again fierce. "You know I'd do this even without the smokes, don't you?"

"Yes Trip, I do know. I've always known. You're a good and decent man. One I'm proud to call my friend."

Callen watched as the big man seemed to become even bigger as he straightened and puffed his chest out a little. He waved and Deeks waved back before turning to walk deeper into Skid Row.

~,~,~,~

A/N2 – Thank you to my French reviewer who told me about Les Restos du Cœur which, according to Wikipedia, means "literally _Restaurants of the Heart_ but meaning _Restaurants of Love"._ This charity was launched by French comedian and actor Coluche in 1985 and was supported by a song written specially for it by singer/songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman. It doesn't target only the homeless, but also those of low income who can't afford good, hot, nutritious meals. In 1986, related organizations were opened in Belgium and in 1997 in Germany. This only goes to illustrate, again, that this is a worldwide problem.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – to my guest French reviewer – you are correct! TMI means Too Much Information. An oversharing of personal details if you will. Nous vous remercions de l'examen de type!

To my guest Spanish reviewer - ¡Gracias por las amables palabras!

To all the other guest reviewers that I can't respond to directly, thank you so much!

~,~,~,~

Chapter 6

As they walked, Callen asked Deeks quietly. "You want to tell me what that was all about?"

"What?"

"Trip? Territories? Which branch of the armed services was he in?"

Deeks sighed, not surprised that Callen had recognized Trip as former military. "Trip was an Army Ranger. Came home after three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq with a medical discharge. He survived an IED explosion but damaged an eardrum. Lost enough of his hearing that he couldn't pass the hearing test. What he came home to was a wife filing for divorce instead of supporting the man she was supposed to love, when the career that defined his life was cut short. Said she didn't want to be a soldier's wife anymore, she wanted someone who would be home for dinner every night, conveniently forgetting that that was exactly who he'd just become. She'd already found and was in a relationship with someone else, stock broker type. She took everything he had. The house, their savings and he didn't fight it, just left and started living on the streets. When I first met him, he was lost. He had no one and no purpose. I may have mentioned that the more frail, young and inexperienced people on the streets could use a protector. He took it to heart and started a network of people who were willing to do the same. He split up as much of the area as he could into territories; each one assigned a group of like-minded people who are willing to watch out for those who can't defend themselves, for whatever reason. It changed him, gave him a new mission in life."

"Defend them from what?"

"Sometimes each other. People get desperate when they're hungry or need a fix. The ones that have lost that spark of humanity will prey on the weaker ones. Sometimes, the threat comes from outside. I've been here when a gang initiation has targeted the homeless. Go in, kill someone and you're in. There's less chance of the cops worrying about the murder of a transient than a good, law abiding, upstanding citizen, if it ever even gets reported. Other times, it's people who just want to hurt someone and see these people as easy targets."

"Makes you wonder where we're heading as a species."

"Yeah, but then there are people like Trip and Dodger, as well as others in the network. They're the ones that reaffirm my belief that there is good out there and that what we do every day to protect it, is worth everything it costs us."

"I heard Trip mention this Dodger. As in the Artful Dodger?"

Deeks laughed. "Based on the circumstances, you'd think that, wouldn't you? But no, it's because he's a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan."

"Good man!"

"Oh jeez! I forgot you were a fan."

"No worse than you with the Clippers!" Callen shot back.

"That's not saying much dude."

Callen sighed. "Yeah, I know." Deeks looked at him and they both started to laugh. Suddenly Callen realized the smell wasn't assaulting his nose as much as it had when they'd entered an hour or so ago. It appeared Deeks was right, he was getting used to it. "So, what next?"

"Next we head into Dodger's territory. Show him the picture of David and Carrie. See if he's heard the same things as Trip and if he knows anything about it."

"Sounds like a plan!"

Deeks stopped and put his hand on Callen's arm. "There are some things you need to know about Dodger before we go in."

"Such as?"

"First, don't ask him his real name. He won't tell you and it can shut him up faster than if you'd slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth. Second, don't mention his limp. He ran away from home when he was barely in his teens. It was just him and his mom. Dad was never in the picture, something she blamed Dodger for. She abused him for years. She broke his leg with a baseball bat when he was nine and then refused to take him to the hospital. By the time someone from the school checked in on him, it had started to heal badly. They re-broke it but it was never right. Mom told the authorities he fell off his bike and she didn't realize it was broken. He backed her up. Eventually the abuse got even worse and he hit the streets when he was fourteen. Been here ever since."

Deeks went silent and Callen looked at him searchingly. He appeared to be lost in some bad memories of his own. Again the senior agent wished Deeks would open up to him about his childhood. Based on the expression on the detective's face, he was pretty sure the younger man had been in the same position as Dodger. He and his mom backing up whatever story his dad had come up with to explain the damage he'd inflicted on his son or wife. Deeks blinked and continued. "Third, don't show any signs of disrespect to me, Trip or any of the other Protectors. He won't take it lightly. He works every bit as hard as Trip to keep the people in his area safe and he's good at it."

"Got it. How old is he now?"

"About nineteen. Small for his age but wiry as all get out. Just remember, he's a good kid who got dealt a bad hand." He paused again and then said quietly. "Just like you and me." Callen nodded, not sure how to respond to that. Deeks seemed to throw off his melancholy and slapped Callen on the back. "Onward and upward!" He turned and started walking again, Callen following, wondering once again how often Deeks came down here. He seemed to know the area and the people a little too well for someone who only came down here once in a while.

He pondered how easily Deeks slipped in and out of the Artie persona. Out in the mainstream, he had become a different person, meek, small, a threat to no one. Once they'd slipped into this area, some of the real Deeks had come back. Not all of it, but enough to make Callen feel better about him. He knew that he, himself, was one of the best undercovers NCIS had. But since being down here? He had to admit, at least to himself, that Deeks was just hands down better in this case. Not something he planned on sharing with the detective. He'd give him high praise for a job well done but would keep that little observation to himself.

He thought of all the characters he'd played over the years. Russian mob boss, Chechen arms dealer, American playboy, Russian playboy, crooked cop, prison inmate, white supremacist, the list went on and on, in places all over the world. He realized that each of those characters was strong and confident, some just plain arrogant bullies.

He'd only played a homeless man a couple of times, usually only for an hour or two, the longest had been the six days he'd told Deeks about and that hadn't been in an area like this. He thought of the other cases where a homeless persona was required. He'd skirted the assignment more times than not, as team lead assigning it to someone else. Since Deeks had joined the team, he'd only done one stint as a homeless man and that was to abduct Angelo. A grand total of about 20 minutes. He wondered if it had to do with the fact that it hit a little too close to home. That he could easily have become one of the people they were passing instead of a successful federal agent. He had to grin; Nate would have a field day with that little self-revelation.

He then thought about some of the other undercovers Deeks had been on, the ones that he'd been witness to. He certainly wasn't one dimensional. Max Gentry had raised his hackles during the Nelson Sanders case when he'd become a brutal thug. He'd been shocked at how the personality of the undercover seemed to be the only one there. No sign of the genial and kind Deeks they knew had been even remotely visible. He knew for a fact that it had freaked Kensi out. He shook off the introspection and turned his attention back to their current situation.

They walked for about fifteen minutes, more people greeting Artie and Monty, the few of them with pets focusing more on Monty. More goodies and a few dog biscuits disappeared from Artie's pockets as they went; shy thanks left in their wake. Eventually a high pitched whistle sounded to their right. Deeks answered back with a complicated trill of his own. Callen's mouth dropped open, realizing this was the first time he'd ever heard the man whistle. A young man stepped out of the shadows. Callen hadn't even known he was there. "Whatcha doin' in my territory, old man?"

"Old man? Old man?! Dude, I'm only 37!"

"Yeah, well down here that makes you old." The two smiled and did some complicated hug and fist pump thing. The boy…young man…looked Callen over. "Who's this you travelin' with Artie? Dude looks older than you!"

"Yeah, he's positively ancient at 43! I think he might even be getting a little senile. Gotta take care of the old folk!"

Callen was rapidly figuring out why Kensi punched Deeks on a fairly regular basis. He was about to do so himself when he remembered Deeks's third warning. He unclenched his fist and pasted on a smile. Deeks knew exactly what had been going through Callen's mind and grinned at him unrepentantly. "This here's Greg. Old friend of mine I recently ran into. We decided to do some traveling together." The grin left his face as he said seriously. "He's good people Dodger. You can trust him. I do." While he may not be one hundred percent sure of where he stood with the man, he truly believed Callen was one of the good ones. Callen heard the sincerity in Deeks's voice and felt a ridiculous swelling in his chest.

The young man limped over to him and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet ya! I'm Dodger."

Callen took the hand and was surprised at the very firm handshake he was given. "Please to meet you too, Dodger. Artie's told me some great things about you!"

The man's eyes took on a glow when he heard that Artie had been talking about him. "Yeah, like what?"

"What a good man you are and about the good work you do around here! He's been singing your praises ever since we left Trip."

Dodger looked at Deeks. "You seen Trip?"

"Sure did, he told me to say 'hey' to you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo, showing it to Dodger. "We're trying to find another friend of ours and his daughter. Supposed to be down here somewhere. Really hoping we can hook up with him. You seen either of them around?"

Dodger looked carefully at the photo and frowned. "Yeah, I think I seen them recently but they didn't stick around, just passed through. You ask Trip about them?"

"Yeah, he hasn't seen them. Suggested I talk to you. Also, told me he'd been hearing some disturbing things."

"About the kids? Yeah, I been hearing about them too. Hasn't happened in my territory but two kids went missing from Christy's recently. You might want to go talk to her. She's beside herself that she didn't keep them safe. I been trying to keep her spirits up but she keeps saying that maybe she's the wrong person for the job. Maybe you can talk some sense into her."

"Okay, we'll do that! I'd hate to see her give up. She's good at it, no matter what she thinks. No one can protect everyone every moment of every day. We're heading towards Chet anyway."

"Monty missing Rondo?"

"Sure is!"

"Monty, dude, you got it bad!" Dodger laughed as he reached down and Monty rolled over for a belly rub, which the young man enthusiastically gave. Deeks proceeded to give Dodger the same instructions about letting the two of them know if he found anything out about the people taking the kids, to not confront them alone. Dodger nodded in agreement. Callen could tell the young man wasn't stupid and accepted that this was the best course. He once again watched Deeks reach into his pocket, this time bringing out a package of cookies and one of cupcakes. He saw Dodger's eyes light up when he saw what Deeks was holding. With no fanfare or comments, the packages disappeared into Dodger's own coat.

They talked a bit more, Callen bringing up the L.A. Dodgers and the two got into a spirited discussion of their favorite team, Deeks getting more bored by the moment. After all, it wasn't like they were talking about something relevant, like his beloved Clippers. Eventually they wound down and the two took their leave of Dodger, promising to pass on his good wishes to Christy.

Once they were out of earshot, Callen looked at Deeks and said. "I liked him. Good kid, smart!"

"You think that about anyone who loves your Dodgers the way you do, but yeah, I agree. He's a great kid."

"Any chance he could get out of here? Maybe get an education?"

Deeks smiled. "I'm working on it." Callen nodded, he was finding out more and more about their Liaison Officer and found that what he was learning was that Deeks was a good man in addition to being a great cop but he was also excellent at keeping secrets.

Callen sighed. "I was hoping we'd have something by now. Something other than one possible sighting of the Parkinsons and nothing concrete on who's taking these kids! Nothing but rumors."

"Yeah, it's not so easy when you don't have the wonder twins up in ops doing all the tedious searching. Something they can't help us with down here. This is what I always did when I was just LAPD. Ninety percent leg work, ten percent action. Can't say that I miss it!"

"I'll bet. So, what's up with this Christy person?"

"Christy's also ex-military, also army, retired. Once she was out, she found she couldn't stand to live within four walls anymore after years of being on the ground in other countries, mostly out in the open."

"Infantry?"

"Yeah, light infantry and that's as much as I know. She's harder to get close to, doesn't like to talk about it. She's good people as well. They all are, just a little broken, a little damaged, beaten up but not down."

"So I'm seeing. So, retired? How old is she then?"

"You never, _ever_ , ask a woman her age, Greg! You should know that at your advanced age." Deeks expertly dodged the punch aimed at him, six years of being Kensi's partner teaching him to see it coming. "If I had to guess, I'd say late fifties, early sixties."

"Well, if she's anything like Trip and Dodger, I'm sure I'm going to like her." Deeks smiled at him in response and Callen found he didn't even mind the teeth any more, the way his face lit up when he smiled for real was still the same.

"So, I've met Trip and Dodger, you've told me about Christy. What's with this Chet guy?"

"Chet's another Protector. That's Trip's term for them. His area tends to be where most of those with pets congregate. He and Rondo make sure that everyone, human and animal, are protected and taken care of. Animals love him and he's very personable. To this day, I haven't been able to get out of him why he's living on the streets. He's smart, really smart and well spoken. I have the feeling he was a teacher of some sort but he won't give anything away. He also seems to know what's going on everywhere down here, even outside the territory he's staked out as his. I'm hoping he may have some good intel for us."

"Sounds like an interesting guy."

"That's an understatement. I've always thought I'd like to see how he and Hetty got along."

"Really? Well, now I can't wait to meet him!"

"Soon. Christy first. Her area is between here and Chet's. I'm hoping we can chat with her and still get to him before nightfall." Deeks looked up at the sky, gauging what time it was. "We have about two hours before sunset." Callen looked up as well and nodded in agreement at his assessment.

They'd walked a little further when the detective started to ask people where Christy was. Apparently Christy wasn't going to find them, unlike the last two they'd met. They were going to have to go to her.

~,~,~,~


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – I continued to do research on this area but, obviously, for the purposes of this story I had to take some liberties as I don't live in L.A. or anywhere nearby. Again, some of the statistics and history of the area came from Wikipedia, so consider credit given! The idea of good people banding together to create groups to watch over the weaker and defenseless is most likely a fiction of my mind but, hey! You never know!

basicnsync put it wonderfully in a recent review: "People don't often consider the sense of community that can develop among groups of people with shared experiences."

To my reviewer who felt that Callen was OOC by being ineffectual, you were right. For some reason, it's hard for me to hear Callen's voice. I tried to tweak it a little to make it more believable. As for Deeks being OOC and preachy, I was hoping to came off as more...passionate about the topic. Thank you for giving me my first critical review that was well thought out but also gave me lovely positive feedback!

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Chapter 7

They continued to walk, Deeks asking for Christy as they went. When he realized where they were heading, he stopped asking. Callen just followed him, having quickly learned to trust the other man's knowledge of the area and its people. More of the homeless acknowledged 'Artie' as he walked by. Callen didn't notice many, if any, that he thought were under the age of eighteen. He watched them all carefully, looking for someone who might be more than they seem. So far, Deeks was the only one who fit the bill. More than once, the detective would stop to chat and quietly hand out something from his pockets, feeding them some story as to how he'd come by it, if they asked. Callen watched the people and the area as they walked. "Artie, are all of these buildings abandoned?"

"No. While there is a large homeless population down here, there are plenty of people who live and work around here. Last statistic I saw said a little over seventeen thousand people are actual residents of this area."

"How do all of them feel about the number of people living on the streets outside their homes?"

"Not sure. I imagine most are just used to it and don't really think about it anymore. Some may feel trapped. A lot of residential hotels were opened in the area in the 1880's and originally housed seasonal laborers who are, by nature, transient. Times change, needs change, buildings were abandoned and left to decay. This area eventually became known as Skid Row and has been 'home' to the homeless since as early as the 1930's. Back then the homeless population in this area was rumored to be about ten thousand souls. As for the actual residents, these are people whose family has lived in this area since the late eighteen hundreds and it's home to them."

"How is it that you know all this?"

"I've been interested in this area for a long while. I took the time to do the research."

Callen digested the information as they continued to walk, knowing there was probably more to the story than a simple interest and some research. He was becoming more and more curious about the goofy detective who, at least that morning, he would've said he knew pretty well. He opened his mouth to ask more, when Deeks took a turn into the driveway of what was obviously an abandoned warehouse. The window glass and various doors were long gone but, surprisingly, very little trash was strewn around. A woman was standing in an open doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her stance military parade rigid. Her hair was iron gray and pulled back tightly in a bun, her clothes old and worn but neat and clean. She was obviously expecting them and did not look happy about it.

"Hey Christy."

"Artie." The two stared at each other for a moment. Callen saw someone who actively disliked the man standing next to him. Deeks saw a proud woman whose confidence had been shaken and was looking for someone to help shoulder the blame. He knew her well enough to know she would never be one to try to push it all off on someone else. "Where have you been?" She finally asked.

"Here and there. You know me Christy. I don't stay in any one place too long. It makes me antsy."

"Don't you mean the need for your next fix makes you antsy?" She'd often wondered if he was as addicted as he seemed. Then, just when she was about convinced that he wasn't a drug addict at all, he'd display symptoms of withdrawal or being high as a kite. What she didn't know was that Deeks would read her and know when to put on an act to keep her thinking he was nothing but what he seemed. A drug addict who lived on the streets, begging for money on street corners for food and his next high.

"If that's the way you want to put it, then that's fine. " Deeks paused and continued in a softer voice. "I talked to Dodger. I know about the kids going missing."

The hard look on her face fell away and her anguish became readily apparent. "Maybe things would've been different if you'd been here! You started this and then you just left. You keep coming back and then you disappear again! I wasn't able to keep them safe!"

"Trip started this Christy, and he's still here."

"Bullshit! You and I both know that you led Trip down that path and practically spoon fed him the idea of creating the Protectors!"

Deeks chose to ignore this but Callen filed it away for later, under the heading of 'The Mysterious Secret Life of Marty Deeks'. "Christy, I'll tell you what I told Dodger. One person can't protect everyone all the time, here or anywhere else in the world. I know you did everything humanly possible to protect those kids. And I doubt my presence would have made any difference. There's something going on down here, something organized. I don't think it's random and I don't think you could possibly have seen it coming."

Christy's hands tightened on her arms and she blinked several times. "What? Like human trafficking?"

"Exactly!"

"What're we going to do about it?" She was obviously agitated now and Callen found he wasn't at all surprised that she was asking Deeks for direction.

"We're going to keep an eye on all the kids and start watching for anyone suspicious. Christy, I think these people might be dangerous. I've asked Dodger and Trip to keep an eye open but to not take things into their own hands. I'm going to ask the same of you. If anyone sees anything that can lead us to these bastards, you need to come find me. This needs to be a team effort!"

She just looked at him, no agreement on her face or in her body language. "Christy! Promise me! If you go in there all Rambo like, you could be killed. And then who takes care of your area? These people need you! _I_ need you to be safe. Come on! Like Trip, you're ex-military. You know that operations go smoother with a team!"

She nodded reluctantly. "I've always wondered how you know all this stuff. You tell me you were never in the military or anything like that, yet you seem to know how things work."

"I read a lot as a kid."

She shook her head at what was an obvious lie, but she didn't push it. She never did with him anymore. She'd learned from experience that he was as stubborn as a mule and wouldn't give away anything he didn't want to. Lord knew she had enough secrets of her own. She took in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. She uncrossed her arms and held them out. Deeks walked into them and hugged her hard. She hugged him back and then pushed him away. "You stink boy!" Deeks just shrugged and both laughed a little.

Deeks turned the conversation towards the kids who had gone missing, scratching his ear and secretly turning on his earwig as promised, this being the first time they had any concrete information. "Who were the ones that went missing, Christy?"

"One of them hadn't been here for long; you would never have met him. Cute little kid, here with his family, name of Ramsey. His name's Louis and he's only nine years old! And before you ask, that mother and father, Clara and Phil, kept a close eye on him! He was taken in the night while they were asleep. The other one was one of our runaways. You might remember her. Gave us the name of Penny Lane but, unless her parents were Beatle's fans, that wasn't her real name."

Deeks did remember her but knew Ops would need more information on her to go on. "Pretty little red head, green eyes, freckles, about 5'2", 90 pounds?"

"That's her, I had a feeling you'd remember her."

"How old is she?"

"If you believe what she told us, fifteen. If I had to guess her real age, I'd say somewhere between eleven and thirteen."

Eric's voice sounded in Deeks's ears. "Heard that loud and clear Deeks. We'll dig around and see what we can find. Hopefully we'll find a missing person's report on Penny and can find information on the Ramsey's now that we have their full names. We'll let you know what we've found the next time you check in. Oh, by the way, we're getting the feed from both your and Callen's button cams with no problem. We're monitoring you 24/7."

He reached up and pretended to scratch his ear again, giving the earwig one tap, the usual response for "yes". He hoped they'd realize it was meant as a thank you. He turned it off again and looked back at Christy. He couldn't bear to see her so sad and down heartened.

He reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a candy bar, her eyes lighting up when she saw it. Like Polly, she questioned where he got it and seemed to believe his convenience store girlfriend story. She hid it away in a pocket to savor later. She gave Callen the once over and asked. "You going to introduce us?" The man in question had to smile. He'd kept quiet while Deeks had interrogated Christy without her even knowing it, not wanting to distract her, or him.

Deeks said. "Sorry, sorry! Greg, this is Sgt. Christine Mayhew, U.S. Army retired. Christy, this is Greg. He's an old friend and one of the good guys."

Callen again felt the warmth in his chest when he heard Deeks describe him. He held out his hand and said. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

"Hmmmph. Well, at least you have better manners than this one!" She took his hand and shook it hard. "Welcome." She leaned down and patted the patient Monty who leaned into her and sighed in contentment when she found a particularly itchy spot. "Hey Monty! It's good to see you, baby. I see Artie has been taking good care of you! You need to tell him he should do the same for himself!" She looked up at Monty's person and raised an eyebrow.

Deeks ignored it and once again pulled out the photo of David and Carrie, holding it out to her. "Greg and I are trying to find a friend who was headed this way with his daughter. David was honorably discharged from the Navy, PTSD. When he goes off his meds, he heads this way but for some reason, this time he took Carrie with him. With everything we've been hearing; we're worried about her."

Christy took the picture and nodded. "Yeah, saw them this morning. He seemed okay and so was the little girl. Didn't stay long, didn't say where he was headed. Did you talk to Chet yet?" She handed back the picture.

"No, we're going there next." He paused, looking around. Turning back to her he asked. "Christy, where are all the other kids? It's after 3, school's out for the day." Callen's eyes went to Deeks face, surprised to hear that the lack of kids on the streets they'd walked down had concerned the detective and that school could have played a factor. He'd just assumed none of them attended and would be hanging around or out begging all day, no matter what time of day or day of the week it was.

"They're in Protective custody." Christy smirked at him, proud of her little play on words even while devastated at the necessity. He smiled widely, happy to see the Christy he knew return. "You gonna come in and say hi?"

Deeks looked up at the sky, again noting the time. They had some to spare, so he nodded and Christy turned to lead them into the warehouse. As they went further in, the faint sounds of childish laughter could be heard. It got louder as Christy eventually led them to a large room in the center of the building where a rousing game of kickball was going on. Several adults were sitting around the edges and cheering their side on. Callen did a quick head count and came up with eleven kids, ranging from what appeared to be about five to early teens. Christy whistled shrilly and the game stopped. She stepped aside and Deeks walked forward.

"Artie's here and he has Monty!" Several of the smaller children ran up to them, patted Monty and then began patting his pockets while the older ones held back, but watched avidly none the less.

He reached in and brought out a handful of lollipops and handed one to each of them. "Remember! No running or horsing around with one of these in your mouths!" The small heads all nodded yes, the admonishment a familiar one. He went to another pocket and brought out one of the small bags of balloons. Ripping it open, he handed a couple to each of the smaller children. When they moved away to play with their small treasures, the older kids sidled up to him. He handed out more lollipops and this time brought out the beach ball. One of the older boys grinned and took it from him, immediately blowing it up and batting it into the air. Deeks batted it back and soon everyone, Callen and Christy included, were trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground and away from Monty. The dog was chasing the ball from one to another, barking and wagging his tail, having a great time. After about ten minutes of spirited play, Callen caught Deeks's eye and tilted his head towards the door, indicating it was time to go. Deeks nodded in return. He called Monty over and they left the adults and kids to their play as Christy walked them out.

When they reached outside, Deeks turned to her and said. "This is a great place for the kids to play and still be under watchful eyes, Christy. It's good to see them laughing, having some fun and just being kids."

Christy responded. "It's a sound I'll never tire of. The kickball you brought last time is getting a little worse for wear. The kids play with it day in and day out."

"I'll see what I can do; maybe I can talk to a couple people." Thinking of the people on his team, knowing that they'd be happy to contribute whatever he asked for. He reached into his pockets one more time and pulled out a couple toothbrushes and tooth paste. "I don't think they would have been as excited about this kind of gift. Can you make sure that they're spread around to those that need it?"

Christy took them and smiled. "Yeah, I think there might have been some moans and groans if these had been given out instead." She pulled him into a hug. "Artie, please don't stay away so long next time, okay? And say hi to Chet for me?"

"I'll try my best and I will. You remember what I told you, if you see someone or something suspicious, no going in alone! Even if you think you're just doing reconnaissance. You send someone to find us and we'll come immediately. We won't care if it's a false alarm. And, if you see David or Carrie again, please, do the same?"

Christy nodded and wistfully watched the two men until they were out of sight. She once again thought about Artie's background. She was more sure than ever that he'd had some type of training even if he wouldn't admit it and it made her feel better, knowing he was back, even if it was only for a short while. The new guy he was traveling with also set her radar off. The man had an unmistakable air of command about him and she thought the two of them made a formidable pair. She turned back into the warehouse to watch the children play and to keep watch over them.

Once out of earshot, Callen started asking Deeks questions. "Were those kids part of families or were they all runaways?"

Deeks huffed out a small sigh and answered. "Some of those kids have families and they live together on the streets. Families down on their luck, hoping for a better tomorrow. Families that refuse to be torn apart. To some, it sounds selfish but most of these families are convinced it's only temporary. And yes, some of those kids are runaways. They're running for a reason." He stopped and looked at Callen, waiting to see the understanding in the older man's eyes. From the small things the man had dropped over the years, he knew he would get this. He wasn't disappointed as Callen nodded.

He continued. "The ones that Christy can talk into going to Social Services? She gets them there. If she can't talk them into it, she tries to keep an eye on them here, making sure they have enough to eat, that they go to school, that they're safe. All the Protectors do the same."

"Why don't they use more of the abandoned buildings like this? Set up bedrooms and common areas?"

"They do. Not everyone who is homeless actually physically lives on the street. You might call them squatters but if the building is empty, you'd think no one would care, right? But no, sometimes the owners flush everyone out and put new locks on the doors and windows, if any still exist. If they can't lock them up, they board them up. Not that it keeps them out for long." He looked away from Callen and the older man had a sneaky suspicion as to why that was and silently applauded any actions he may or may not be taking.

"What did you mean about school not being out for the day? Do they really go?"

Deeks nodded. "Yes, most really do go to school. If they don't want to make the trek to one or are worried that the teachers are going to figure things out and turn them in, they have another option. There's an organization that has volunteer tutors who come to the various areas to teach homeless kids. It was founded in 1993 and called School on Wheels. Donations buy field trips, school supplies, among other things. They have a learning center in the heart of the Row. They're trying to educate as many kids as they can, trying to give them the best chance for a better life, a better future."

Callen's eyebrows rose in surprise and he filed yet another fact away to be reviewed at a later date. He asked another question that had been bothering him. "Isn't it dangerous to be down here, no matter what your age? "

Deeks's face darkened. "Dangerous? You're damned right it is. The Protectors do their best but there are areas down here that even I'm afraid to go into. Those are areas that wouldn't take kindly to even the idea of the Protectors, seeing it as someone having jurisdiction over them, telling them what they can and can't do. The worst of the worst go to those areas. Murderers, rapists, the violent offenders, some made violent by their life, some just violent by nature. Those kinds of people are prodded into the bad areas by the Protectors, driven out of their territory. Everyone is warned to stay away but, you can't stop people from being curious and sometimes, someone ventures in. Sometimes they come back, worse for wear. Sometimes….sometimes they just don't come back at all."

He heard the harshness in Deeks's voice and completely understood where it came from, especially after meeting some of the people he had today, seeing those kids play so happily with the simple toys Deeks had brought. He looked at the younger man sadly and said. "Some of that's amazing, some of it is just plain scary! It sounds like the Wild West or some kind of post-apocalyptic story."

Deeks just raised an eyebrow. Trying to inject some humor into the conversation and direct Callen's focus away from asking the personal questions he knew were bubbling just under the surface, he asked "Post-apocalyptic? I don't think I've ever seen any zombies running around! Cowboys or gunslingers either, for that matter."

"You know what I mean!"

Deeks sobered and nodded. "Yes, G, I do. It's a huge issue and it's something that I do what I can to help alleviate, like so many others. I don't have a lot of extra cash, so I try to do little things, including giving my time and some ideas to try to make things better without tons of money. It's a drop in the bucket. But, if everyone would do what they could, even if it was just a little something, don't you think the world would be a better place?"

Callen nodded his agreement, knowing that he had a lot to think about once they found David and Carrie and took down whoever was taking these kids. He replayed the meeting with Christy in his head for a moment and then asked several questions that he'd been dying to know the answer to. "What did Christy mean when she said you were behind the Protectors, not Trip? And why does most everyone down here from the small kids to the adults seem to know you? How the hell often are you down here?!" Deeks simply shrugged and that all too familiar stubborn look appeared on the man's face and it was then that he knew was beaten; Deeks wasn't going to answer his personal questions…yet. He had no intention of stopping them, hoping to eventually wear the detective down; even knowing he was the king of deflection. He, himself, was the king of perseverance, although some have been known to call it stubbornness. Sam, for instance. Deeks turned and led the way out of Christy's territory and towards Chet's.

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A/N2 – In googling things like whether or not there are schools in the Skid Row area, I stumbled on School on Wheels. What a wonderful idea! There really are good people out there!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Not sure what happened, but this chapter just disappeared. I tried replacing it and that didn't work, so I deleted it and reposted.

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Chapter 8

As they walked from Christy's territory into what Deeks indicated was Chet's, Callen started seeing more people with animals. They mostly seemed well cared for and content. Their people also seemed more relaxed and happy. They were stopped on several more occasions, each time Monty seeming to be more the attraction than Artie, for a change. More dog biscuits and some cat treats made an appearance from the multitude of pockets. He wondered about the man they were on their way to see. Deeks obviously thought highly of him and each of the Protectors they'd already talked to had asked if they'd gone to see him. The man certainly had a reputation. He found himself looking forward to meeting him.

He had a feeling they were getting close when Monty started to get agitated and pull on the rope leash. He whined excitedly and Deeks chuckled. "I think Monty knows his girl is nearby!" Callen smiled at him in response. The area around them was more open space than they'd seen since passing the mural. Around them were a series of shelters, most created from tarps and blankets, with a couple of ratty tents thrown in here and there, instead of the by now familiar abandoned buildings.

"What is this place?"

"It was originally a park. Chet decided this area was best for those with animals, more space for them to roam and play. He claimed it for his territory and no one cared, most not liking the lack of what they perceived as the safety of walls and a roof for those that squat, or a convenient alley to hide in for those that don't. Also, with most of the animals congregated here, it makes it easier for POTH to set up a clinic when they circle back around to the Row. Those with animals tend to find their way here and all are welcome, as long as they abide by the rules."

"Rules?"

"All are equal. Animal abuse is strictly forbidden and harshly dealt with. The person is expelled but the animal stays, a new person found for him or her. One who'll take better care of the animal and cherish them. The animals are as much Chet's responsibility as the people and he takes it very seriously."

"Well said young Artie." A surprisingly pleasant voice sounded behind them. Deeks turned and smiled widely. Chet had found them. Callen turned to find an older gentleman, somewhere in his later 60's or 70's, a little bent over, but with a full head of white hair and one of the longest beards he'd ever seen. It reached below his waist and was neat and well kept. Deeks, or rather Artie, was pulled into yet another hug, the man's nose wrinkling at the smell. "You stink!"

Callen had to laugh at the pout that appeared on Deeks's face as his smell was once again pointed out. Chet looked down and smiled at Monty. "Привет Monty. Вы ищете Rondo?" _Hello Monty. Are you looking for Rondo?_ He asked.

Callen's eyebrows rose in surprise as he said. "Ты говоришь по-русски." _You speak Russian_.

The man looked up from patting Monty, an unreadable expression on his face. "Казалось бы вы сделали, как хорошо." _It would seem you do as well_.

"Один из моих приемных родителей был русским. Научил меня достаточно, чтобы пройти." _One of my foster parents was Russian. Taught me enough to get by._ Fabricated Callen quickly.

Chet looked back down at the dog. "Идите вперед, она там!" _Go ahead, she's in there._

Even though Callen was pretty sure that the dog didn't speak Russian, he seemed to understand and bolted into the shelter Chet indicated. Deeks had been looking back and forth between the two as they talked, not understanding what was being said. He frowned as he asked. "One, that isn't the shelter you were in last time I was here and two, what language was that you two were speaking? I've never heard you speak anything but English." He knew it was Russian, he'd heard his team members speaking it often enough to have picked up a word or two over the years, but not enough to understand the full conversation. Hell, he himself had been to Russia with the team not all that long ago. He just didn't want Chet to know he knew. In the meantime, Callen studied the man, something about him niggling at his memory.

"One, I moved. We got a family in who needed more space than I did. I gave them mine and created this smaller one. Two, that was Russian."

"How do you know Russian? And why are you speaking it suddenly?"

"Why does it matter? And maybe I just had a sudden urge to keep my hand in."

Deeks opened his mouth to respond only to figure that Artie wouldn't have an answer. He heard happy yipping from inside the shelter and frowned as something else registered with him. "Three, why is Rondo in the shelter, instead of out here with you like normal?"

Chet's face fell and his eyes filled with tears. "She hasn't been doing so well. POTH was by here earlier this week and they did some blood work and x-rays. They're going to come back and let me know what the results are. In the meantime, they left vitamins and medicine for her and told me to make sure she takes it easy." He gave a strangled laugh. "To say she isn't pleased at being cooped up would be an understatement. Hopefully, Monty will improve her spirits."

Deeks moved closer, his heart hurting. "I'm so sorry Chet! Do they have any ideas about what it might be?" He feared something like this would eventually happen to Monty and he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. He desperately hoped the dog would simply pass in his sleep after a long and happy life.

"They wouldn't say but I worry that it's cancer. It seems like it's always cancer."

Surprisingly, it was Callen who spoke up. "Don't borrow trouble! Maybe it's nothing more than an infection or something that's easily fixed with medications." Chet looked at him gratefully, pleased at the encouraging words. He was still leery of this man but that didn't mean he wasn't a good guy.

Deeks realized he'd once again forgotten to introduce his traveling companion. "Chet, this is Greg. Greg, _this_ is Chet."

Callen held out his hand and said. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope?" Chet asked as he took the proffered hand.

"Very."

Chet gave him a more natural smile and turned back to Deeks. "Haven't seen you around in a while Artie, what've you been up to?"

"Been wandering, hooked up with my old friend Greg here a bit ago. Started to hear some things that sent us back this way. I talked to Christy, she told me about Louis and Penny disappearing. If rumors can be believed, they aren't the only ones. In addition, a friend of ours is out here somewhere with his little girl. We're pretty sure he won't be able to protect her if someone's targeting kids and we're worried the same thing could happen to her." He reached into a pocket and pulled out the picture once again. "Have you seen them?"

Chet took the picture and shook his head. "No. What makes you think they might be headed here?"

"Don't know where they're headed, just thought you might've heard something."

"You got any more of these?"

"Yeah, Greg has the same picture. David gave them to both of us at the same time and turned out we'd both kept it. You can keep that one. Why?"

"I'll put out feelers to see if any of my guys can locate them, show the picture around. There's more you want though, isn't there?"

"Yeah, was kinda hoping you had some ideas on who might be taking these kids. You have more information on what's going on in the Row than any other living person."

Chet frowned and said cautiously. "There might be a couple guys I'm keeping an eye on. They pretend to be homeless but no one seems to know who they are and they don't act right. They show up, wander around and then disappear again. They don't talk to anyone and they certainly don't sleep on the streets around here or I would've been able to find out where."

Deeks once again reached up to scratch his head and turn on his earwig. "Can you describe these guys or lead us to them?"

"Why?"

"Greg and I are hoping to work up a plan with Trip, Dodger and Christy to stop them."

Chet frowned again. "I don't like it. You could get hurt or worse. I have a bad feeling about these guys."

Callen spoke up again, deciding it was time to take a less submissive role. He'd let Deeks do all the talking before now, as he was the most comfortable down here and had the contacts. The reason why that was, was something he had every intention on ferreting out. Later. In addition, he'd let Deeks take the lead to see what he did, how he worked and, so far, he'd been pleased with what he'd seen. "What's the alternative? We just let them roam around down here at will? Taking little kids and doing God knows what with them?"

"Of course not! It's just…it could be dangerous."

"So's crossing most streets in L.A. at rush hour, but people still do it."

Chet barked out a laugh that didn't last. He looked back and forth between the two men in front of him. He'd always had a feeling that Artie was more than he seemed and he definitely got the same feeling from this new guy, Greg. But then, he himself wasn't what he seemed to be either. The way they had just questioned him cemented the conviction that one or both had been in some kind of military or law enforcement before whatever had happened to push them into this life, happened. He'd seen plenty of good people turn to drugs as a way to cope with what they saw each day. Eventually, the drugs ruled them and destroyed their careers. He sighed. It was none of his business, just as his reasons for being out here were none of theirs. "Okay, okay. There're four of them. They're not American. The accent seems to be Eastern European; I'm pretty sure Russian or Chechen."

Callen's suspicions rose up again. "And you would know this how?"

"I know those two accents."

"Is that's why you have this sudden urge to speak the language?"

Chet bobbed his head in a maybe yes, maybe no movement. He knew Greg was as leery of him as he was of Greg.

Deeks took a turn asking the questions, knowing Ops would be listening carefully. "You said that they show up and then leave again. Do you have any idea of what direction they come in from or leave towards? Is it always different or the same area?"

Chet raised an eyebrow, thinking those were very interesting questions. Ones that he'd already asked and had an answer for. "As far as we can figure out, they tend to come in and leave from the same area. The one closest to Alameda."

In his ear, Deeks could hear Eric again. "Deeks, can you get him to give you a description of the men? We can access traffic cams in that area of the city but we have to know what the people we're searching for look like."

Deeks almost nodded but caught himself. "Can you describe what they look like?"

"Dark hair, all of them sporting beards and mustaches. Somewhat fair skinned, like they don't spend a lot of time outside in the sun, another thing that's off about them if they were truly homeless. All four about six feet tall, give or take an inch, well built. They tend to come in together and then split up. They meet later and leave together, but I've never _seen_ one with a child."

He paused and then continued with a heavy heart. "As for the rumors? They're true. Abbott told me that he's missing a kid from his area. Jordan said he was missing three and Trinity reported another two from hers. With Christy's two, that makes eight kids that I know about, which means there could be double or triple that number."

"Do you have names?"

"No, but I'm sure we can get them."

"Okay. For now, it makes sense to see if we can follow these guys and see if they lead us them."

Once again Eric spoke. "Okay, at least that gives us something to work on. Nell and I are on it." The man paused and his voice was sad when he spoke again. "I still can't believe how many people are down there. I've lived in L.A. all my life and I never knew or maybe I just didn't want to know. How is that possible? I saw that group of kids playing in the warehouse. When you get back, I need you to tell me what I can do to help."

His voice was replaced with Nell's, who sounded stuffed up like she'd been crying. "We all do Deeks."

Deeks felt his heart lighten a little at the sincerity in the Wonder Twins' voices as he reached up and turned off the comms, pretending to scratch his head again.

"You got lice under that hat boy?" Chet asked, trying to joke a little, hoping to ease the tension that was now noticeable in both men. Deeks just shook his head no, not able to summon up the goofy response the older man had been looking for. He and Callen exchanged a look and Chet noticed it. "What are you two thinking?"

Deeks looked at Chet and sighed heavily. "Christy told me that Louis was taken at night, while his parents slept. Penny also disappeared after dark. If these four men come and go before nightfall with no children…then…"

Callen finished his sentence. "Then either they aren't the ones doing this or…someone inside is helping them."

The three men were silent, each one thinking about what this meant. There were thousands of people down here, how would they figure out who might be helping these guys and stop them? Monty came out of the shelter, another dog at his side, breaking their reverie.

Chet shook his head. "Rondo, how did you get free?"

All three started to laugh, glad for the distraction, when they realized Rondo's rope was held loosely in Monty's mouth. Apparently the mutt had freed his girlfriend and brought her outside where she desperately wanted to be. Deeks leaned down to ruffle his dog's fur. "You can't deny her anything, can you Monty?"

Under his breath, just loud enough for the detective to hear, Callen said. "Reminds me of someone else I know." Deeks looked up at him in shock, knowing that Sam and Callen both thought he indulged Kensi in too many things, expecting to see a smirk on the man's face as he baited him. Instead he saw a kind of longing, an expression that was quickly masked. He found himself wondering just how solid Callen and Joelle's relationship was these days. The two stared at each other until Deeks finally broke the tension with a tentative smile, one that Callen returned.

Chet watched the interaction, wondering what had been said and what was passing between the two men. He'd always thought of Artie as somewhat of a loner but now he was revising his opinion. These two obviously knew each other well and cared about each other, the ability to talk without words a dead giveaway. A stray thought crossed his mind and he tilted his head, watching closer. He couldn't determine if it was true or not and he found he really didn't care. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the sun was close to setting. "Artie? Where were you planning on staying tonight?"

Deeks looked away from Callen and up at the setting sun. "Was hoping we could crash around here somewhere, at least until we can figure out what's going on."

Chet nodded. "I'd offer you some space in my shelter but I don't think I could take the stench! Greg can stay if he wants. And Monty. But we need to find you somewhere more…down wind." His words made Callen realize he didn't even notice the smell emanating from his temporary partner and Deeks's words sounded in his head once again.

Callen spoke up immediately. "We stay together. I'd like somewhere quiet, if you can think of one." Chet nodded and tilted his head to the left, turning and heading that way, expecting them to follow. Deeks reached down and picked up Monty's rope and they followed, making an odd sight, the white haired bushy bearded man in the lead, the two scruffy men following them, one holding the leash of a dog who was holding the leash of…a dog.

Chet stopped on the outskirts of the encampment, in front of a small shelter made from a tarp strung up on poles, not all that far from his own. "This one is empty for the moment. The guy who lived here…went on to a better place."

Deeks blanched a little, not that anyone could tell under all the dirt and hair. Callen felt him tense up and bit his lip to keep from laughing. He knew their Liaison was convinced that ghosts existed. He remembered when Kensi had talked him into giving up his shirt to put on a dead guy so that they could take his picture and pretend that he was still alive. She'd delighted in telling everyone who'd listen that he wouldn't take the freshly laundered shirt back later, convinced you couldn't 'wash out ghost'. He was already thinking of ways to mess with him during the long night ahead of them, something to keep both of them from being bored. Although, he was pretty sure Deeks wouldn't appreciate his efforts.

He held out his hand to Chet again, saying. "Thank you! This will do nicely." He turned and nudged Deeks who started.

"Um, yeah, yeah. Thanks Chet."

Chet smiled at him. "You guys have something to eat?"

Deeks nodded. "Yeah, we got a little something to get by on."

Chet frowned, worried about the young man. "How long since your last fix, son?'

Deeks smiled. "I'm good, got a little something this morning. I won't need anything more for a while yet. You don't need to worry about me."

Chet searched his eyes and finally nodded. "I'll always worry about you." Deeks blinked a little and regretted the need to lie to this man. "Okay, I'll show my guys the picture and send them out to see if they can locate your friend and his little girl. We'll meet up tomorrow and talk about what, if anything, they find. Then I'll take you over to where these guys generally show up. Maybe someone will remember something when you talk to them." He reached out and put a hand on Deeks's shoulder. "You have a way with people, Artie. I wish you'd get your act together and get clean. You could really make something of yourself."

Deeks swallowed hard. Again, he thought about how, while it was necessary, there were times he really hated lying to people like this when he was undercover, good people who trusted him. He smiled and Chet smiled back. He turned to walk away, calling Rondo to him. The two dogs whined and looked from Chet to Deeks. Deeks chuckled and said. "Go ahead Monty. If it's okay with Chet, you can have a sleep over with him and Rondo."

Chet nodded happily. This was the most engaged Rondo had been in days. Monty was good for her and it made him hopeful for her future. Deeks laughed and looked back down at his dog. "You mind Chet and you make sure you're always a gentleman with her, kiddo. Don't want to have to attend no shotgun wedding!"

The three laughed and Chet turned to once again head home, this time with both dogs following him. The laughter left Deeks's face as he realized he would miss his furry buddy. Callen turned back to the shelter and said. "I'll take the left side."

Deeks opened his mouth to say that was great, as he preferred the right but found himself saying instead. "I can't sleep on the right side." He wondered when that had become true. He and Kensi had both preferred the right side, as far back as their fake Justin and Melissa Waring marriage. They'd constantly fought over what side they'd get to sleep on. He'd given in to her over the years and now couldn't imagine sleeping on the right anymore. They'd only been out here a day and lord knew how long this was going to take, but he was already missing her.

Callen just shrugged and said. "No problem. I'll take the right then." He poked his head under the tarp and realized it didn't really matter; it was just a piece of material propped up over their heads, to keep the worst of any bad weather off them. He turned back to Deeks. "So, what exactly is that that we have to eat?"

Deeks grinned, his hand immediately going into a pocket and pulling out a package that he offered to him. Callen's eyes lit up. "I _love_ beef jerky!"

He reached out to take it and heard Deeks say quietly. "I know."

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	9. Chapter 9

A/N – Many thanks to my guest reviewer who informed me that women weren't allowed in combat until this year. I had this chapter already written and had every intention of making Christy someone who had been in battle. I wish I could have corresponded with this reviewer and asked more questions. Google is great, but can only answer the questions you know to ask. I'm sure I still didn't get it 100% accurate but I tried my best!

A/N2 – Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review! For those who were signed in as guests, I wish I could have responded directly!

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Chapter 9

Callen absently chewed on a piece of the beef jerky, thinking about Deeks. He'd been surprised when the man had pretty much said he'd stocked them only because he knew it was one of Callen's favorites. He grimaced when he realized he now thought of Deeks's stuffing Artie's pockets as 'stocking up'. And how exactly _had_ Deeks known he loved beef jerky? He heard the man's voice in his head. "I'm a detective! That's what I do, I detect!" He looked over at him, watching as he chewed on some cheese crackers, having left all the jerky for him.

Without looking up, Deeks said. "You're staring and it's starting to creep me out, G."

Callen squirmed a little at having been caught watching him. "I was just thinking that I've never seen anyone so well prepared for a stint a homeless person."

Still not looking up, Deeks smiled a little but only said. "Thinking now might be a good time to check in, before people start coming back to their spots to sleep for the night. Not much longer from now, it will be too crowded to talk freely."

"I bow to your greater knowledge."

Deeks looked up. "Why are you doing this, G? Letting me take point? I know you don't exactly trust me."

Callen was only mildly shocked at Deeks's words. Although he knew the detective had had reason to feel that way in the beginning, that…that had changed. Changed after Sidorov, changed after McGonagle. But he could see how it would be hard to wipe out that history as if it never existed. "It's not that I don't trust you. I absolutely do. With my life; with no hesitation. I've seen what you can do. You're damned good at this being undercover stuff. Better than Sam, although I will deny that to my dying breath if you repeat it. For this op, you're the one with the contacts; you're the one with the knowledge of the area. I'm following you instead of leading the way but, I have to tell you, it's tough for me. Even with Sam, as long as we've been partners, I'm usually the one in charge." He admitted. Deeks searched his eyes, wondering if he could believe that Callen was actually being sincere in saying he trusted him. After a minute, he nodded, pleased with his team leader's words but still a little leery.

He still had no idea that Sam and Callen were both trying to get him to make the change to federal agent and stop being a cop. "Operation Agent Deeks" had been in full swing for several months, but he was being particularly dense when it came to the hints and comments being dropped by the two senior members of the team, so used to being teased and baited, that he thought that's all it was. Waiting for them to laugh hysterically and tell him he had no chance if he took said bait and indicated he was willing to leave LAPD and apply to NCIS.

Callen had had no idea that Deeks still felt like he wasn't fully trusted by anyone other than Kensi and realized this might explain _why_ he hadn't made the leap from cop to agent, despite their gentle prodding. Callen and Sam had talked about it just over a week ago and decided they needed to be a little less subtle and more in his face about what they wanted him to do. Either that or they needed to recruit some more people. They both knew that Hetty had already made the offer, long ago, just before she'd left for Romania to try and stop the Comescu blood feud against her lead agent. That was something Callen had let slip to Sam when Deeks had been fighting for his life after they rescued him from that damn meat packing plant. Neither had told Kensi, not sure how she would react to the fact that he'd said no. They had both agreed that they were pretty sure they could get Granger behind it. Unfortunately, they'd had back to back cases after making that decision and now this.

Callen wondered if this was a good time to broach the subject again and had actually opened his mouth to do so, when Deeks reached up and turned on his earwig. A little angry with himself that he'd missed his chance, Callen followed suit. Softly he said. "Eric? Checking in."

"Callen! It's good to hear your voice. I'm putting you on speaker. We're all here. Is Deeks with you?"

In response, Deeks spoke up. "I'm here Eric. It's late. Why is everyone still there?"

Kensi's voice came over the speaker. "Waiting to talk to you guys. How're you doing Callen?" The tone of her voice changed to wistful as she asked. "Shaggy?"

Deeks heart had soared as soon as he heard her voice. It sounded like his ladybird was missing him as much as he was missing her. He savored it for a moment and then replied with his normal cheek. "Doing good, Fern. Having to fight off the ladies! Cause you know, Artie is quite the chick magnet!" He heard the sound of loud overdone gagging and laughed.

Nell's voice came on next. "We miss you guys!"

Deeks laughed. "We've only been gone a day Velma!"

She laughed in turn and responded. "You know what I mean."

"I do Nellasauros. We miss all of you too. Even Granger!" Deeks and Callen were facing each other and the senior agent looked at him, making a face and sticking his finger down his throat, making silent gagging motions.

"You do know we can see you through the detective's button cam, don't you Agent Callen?" Granger's voice came over the comms immediately. Callen grimaced. He _had_ forgotten. Deeks was desperately trying not to burst into laughter, picturing the look on the Assistant Director's face. Most of the others were still standoffish with him, even though he'd come through for them on multiple occasions once they gotten past the first few cases they'd worked on with him. Deeks, on the other hand, had always been grateful for what he'd done for Kensi, even if he hadn't agreed with the way he went about it, putting her in custody and all that. While Granger may have had his suspicions about Kensi in the beginning, he'd been in her corner long before the end, backing her up and being the one to save her when Claremont tried to shoot her. Granger had been a friend of her dad's and had had his unshakeable trust. To Deeks, that counted for something.

Changing the subject, Callen asked. "Have you found out anything, Eric?"

"Yeah, we found the Ramsey's, Clara and Phil. Phil lost his job at an engineering firm last year when it was bought out and moved overseas. Clara was a stay at home mom. He wasn't able to get another job and what little savings they had were depleted pretty quickly. The house ended up being foreclosed on by the bank. Even before that, both of their cars were repossessed. Louis stopped showing up at his private school. Child Protective Services was notified but there's been no sign of any of them in the last few months." His voice lowered in pitch as he said sadly. "Now we know why."

"Yeah, now we know why." Callen's voice was also low and sad. "Anything else?"

"We've done facial rec on everyone you've interacted with since you got down there. The big guy you first met up with? He's Corporal Trevor Wright, but Deeks probably knows all this. Thirty-six, medically discharged in 2012 due to hearing loss sustained after being caught in an IED explosion. Joined the Army right out of high school in 1998. A purple heart and a bronze star. Divorced in 2012 as well, fell off the grid after the wife took everything. His disability checks are on hold at the Army Disability Unit in L.A. because they kept being returned and they don't know where to forward them to."

Deeks was glad Trip's story had been the truth but he hadn't known about the medals. He knew Trip was not the kind of guy to brag on that. Eric continued. "The kid you met up with after that? Nothing on record for him that we've been able to find, yet. Nell's running a reverse aging program on him and then she'll run it through again. Hopefully, there's a missing person or Amber Alert on him from when he was younger."

Deeks sighed. "I doubt you'll find anything Nell."

"Why?" She asked.

"Let's just say that his mom was probably glad he left and that she didn't report it. Guessing she told the school that he'd gone to live with his dad. A dad who was never in the picture. He most likely just fell through the cracks."

There was silence for a moment and then Eric cleared his throat. "The next person you spoke with was Sgt. Christine Mayhew, Army. Served with the light infantry in a support unit as Quartermaster Officer, no combat listed on her record."

Here Sam interrupted. "That's to be expected. Woman weren't allowed in a combat MOS until this year. Doesn't mean their service was any less respected. They were as critical to the success of any operation as the grunts. Having to watch men who have become your friends, your brothers, go out to fight, knowing that some may not come back, that some may come back broken, physically and/or mentally? All that takes its own toll."

Eric picked up the narrative. "She retired from the army in 2009 and, you guessed it, dropped off the grid. She didn't own a home or a car, nothing to sell, just disappeared. Currently sixty-eight years old. Savings account at Pacific National Bank with a significant balance. Retirement check direct deposited monthly, but no withdrawals in years." Deeks and Callen exchanged looks of surprise; neither would have pegged her as that old.

Deeks tensed a little, worried about what they might have found out about Chet, his heretofore unknown knowledge of the Russian language and what a Russian or Chechen accent sounded like, making him realize he didn't know the man as well as he thought he did. Eric continued. "The last guy? The white haired man we listened to you talk to? Again, no hits on him. The beard and mustache would make it hard for facial rec to identify him if he was never photographed with it or, maybe, he's just no one. We're running him through a program to remove said hair before doing facial rec again."

Callen said. "I doubt that you'll find Chet is no one, Eric. I think he's definitely someone and, for some reason, he seems familiar. I just can't figure out why."

"We'll keep on it and let you know what we find out about him. In the meantime, we're combing through traffic cams down by Alameda. Nothing as of yet."

"Okay Eric. Chet's taking us down there tomorrow. Make sure you watch the camera feed carefully and we'll turn on comms when Chet indicates he sees the guys we're looking for."

"Sounds good."

Sam took a moment to check in with his partner, teasing him about being stuck with Artie for the foreseeable future. Granger took the opportunity to tease both of them as well, in his own awkward way, his dry humor not really amusing to anyone but Hetty and Deeks. No one was overly shocked by this as they'd seen his concern and worry over the detective during the last couple of years. He claimed it was because Deeks was a trouble magnet and adamantly refused to admit that the man had gotten under his skin. He really wasn't fooling anyone but himself. To a lesser degree, he also worried about the rest of them, but they never seemed to get into the same kind of hot water. The odd thing was? It was rarely Deeks's fault.

A new voice sounded over the comms, addressing the two men. "Mr. Callen? Mr. Deeks? You are both to stay safe. No heroics. If you find these men and determine they are who you're looking for, you're to follow them but you wait for us. Mr. Hanna and Miss. Blye can be there in just under twenty minutes, with as much back up as needed."

Callen and Deeks stared at each other, both silent, wondering if they would be able to comply if a child was in danger and they couldn't wait. Both realizing that Hetty had pretty much just given them the exact same lecture that Deeks had given to Trip, Dodger and Christy. "I'm waiting gentlemen. If I don't get your word on this, I'll send in a team to extract you immediately. Do you understand me?"

Both sighed and gave their word to the tiny women they both adored and feared. Back in Ops, Hetty shooed everyone but Kensi out for the moment. "Mr. Callen? Now would be a good time to turn off your comms. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you tomorrow. Mr. Deeks, please stay online." With that, she smiled as she too left Ops, leaving Kensi alone.

Kensi picked up Eric's phone, taking it off speaker. "Deeks?"

Before responding, he looked at Callen who turned his back and moved out of earshot. "I'm here Princess."

"How are you doing? Are you taking care of yourself?"

"I'm fine, I promise."

"I miss you!"

"Miss you too. Would you believe I just told Callen I can't sleep on the right side of the bed, er, shelter?"

She laughed, his words taking her mind off her worry for the moment, exactly the reaction he had been looking for. She sobered and asked how Monty was. He had her laughing again as he told her how Monty had led a jailbreak to get his own ladybird out of prison and that their boy was growing up, having his first sleepover with a girl, albeit with her dad on the premises. When Hetty came back into Ops, she knew her time with him was over and let him know. Her last request to him was simple. "You keep your promise to me, you hear me?"

"Always baby, always." She knew he was serious as he didn't call her any of the cheesy nicknames she pretended to hate. "I love you."

Not caring that Hetty was now in the room; she swallowed a lump in her throat and responded. "I love you more."

"Good night, my love, sweet dreams."

"You too!" She highly doubted that would happen and held the phone to her ear, even after hearing the soft telltale click that indicated he'd turned off his earwig. They both worked a dangerous job but this was the first time in a long while that they'd been totally separated. One or the other had gone undercover many times, but the opposite partner was either there with them in a supporting role or just a safe word away. Even LAPD had stopped calling him in for cases. This time, there was no way for her to back him up, at least not quickly. She had to trust that Callen would keep him safe. She gently put the receiver down and turned to Hetty. She smiled at the small woman, letting her know that she appreciated the time alone to talk to him without actually saying the words.

"Good night, Miss. Blye."

"Good night Hetty." She walked out of Ops to find everyone else waiting. Eric and Nell both patted her on the arm but didn't go back inside. The night technical team gave her an encouraging smile and headed back in. They'd all been pulling for Deeks and Kensi to get together and one of them had actually won the pool on when the two would be officially outed as a couple. That pot had been fairly hefty; almost everyone who worked at the Mission had participated. The only person who knew that both Hetty and Granger had placed their own bets, was the one who recorded them and took the money. The remaining people, including Granger, followed Kensi downstairs. She picked up her bag and looked at them. "I'm fine, you guys! Really!"

Sam nodded. "We know Kens! We were just waiting to see if you wanted to join us for drinks. Granger's buying."

Granger opened his mouth to ask just when that had been decided but closed it when Sam glared at him. He sighed silently, not for the first time wondering what had happened to him since he'd been assigned to La La Land. He turned to Kensi and nodded. "Yup, on me."

Kensi was about to say no, when she realized she really didn't want to go home to an empty house. No Deeks, no Monty, just empty space where her boys should be. She changed her mind, smiled and nodded yes. The resulting smiles on everyone's face buoyed her mood. Gently teasing each other about one thing or another, they started to leave the Mission. As they went, Kensi looked up to see Hetty standing on the upper landing, watching them leave. She stopped and said. "Hetty? Come with us?" She paused and added. "Please?" The others stopped as well, waiting to hear the answer.

Hetty smiled and nodded, heading down the stairs. She'd intended to stay here and keep an eye on things but knew her technical people had it covered. If she could find someone to take a sucker's bet, she'd place money on both Eric and Nell having their encrypted tablets with them, the different programs they were running still going, alarms set up to notify one or both of them if something came up. She knew for a fact that they would immediately be warned if either Deeks or Callen activated their comms before the expected time tomorrow morning. Even if they didn't, the others on night duty would and they would then notify everyone else. She went to her desk to pick up her bag and joined the group. "How can I resist going when I know Owen is buying? I know a bar that has plenty of Johnny Walker Blue on hand."

Granger's strangled "Henrietta!" followed them out of the building.

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A/N3 – Before the action starts and we find out who is behind all this there may, or may not, be a night of revelations between Callen and Deeks. Ok there will be! I can't help myself.


	10. Chapter 10

Ok, I know a lot of people hate author's notes and there are a few of them with this chapter so my apologies ahead of time!

A/N – Huge thanks to Raderle, who graciously allowed me to use aspects and characters from her wonderful story "Who is Marty Deeks?" This doesn't completely follow her story line, as I'd already set some things up in prior chapters that don't mesh with it, but I think her characters are wonderful and wanted to pay a little tribute to them here!

A/N2 – Thanks, as always, to my beta and friend, Honus47! She finds my mistakes, she keeps me honest and she talks me down off the ledge…when I let her!

A/N3 – To all my guest reviewers who I can't respond to personally: Thank you! Je vous remercie! ¡Gracias! Vielen Dank! Grazie! I'd also like to thank those who commented on women in combat. I contemplated going back and changing Christy's background a little but then decided to leave it as is. Everyone who serves, in whatever capacity, is critical to the functioning of the armed forces.

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Chapter 10

Callen stared up at the ceiling of their shelter, a little of the night sky visible around the edges, his hands clasped behind his head, ankles crossed. He'd had no luck falling asleep, even one of his famous cat naps eluded him. It wasn't the ground; he'd slept on harder surfaces over the years, some of them beds in small rundown hotels. No, it was the questions about Deeks and the situation at hand that kept running through his head and chased away any chance at even a fitful slumber. Who was Chet? Why did he seem familiar? Who was taking these kids and why? What little he'd learned about their Liaison's childhood had piqued his curiosity and he wanted to hear about the rest. He wanted answers to the questions about how often he came down here, why everyone seemed to know him, what was his part in creating this network of people who called themselves the Protectors. It sounded like something out of a comic book and yet there was something oddly compelling about it. They all went round and round like a hamster on a wheel. He knew Deeks was as stubborn as he was and he also understood why the younger man might want to keep some things private. He also had things of his own that he'd rather not share. Understanding that, didn't squelch the need to know. He'd always thought his innate curiosity was part of why he was such a good agent but tonight it was driving him crazy.

He listened to Deeks's even breathing, envying him the escape of sleep. He was therefore surprised when the man in question said. "G, I can hear you thinking from here. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I have questions, Artie. Ones you refuse to answer or just plain ignore."

"Well, I have questions of my own."

"Such as?"

"We're really going to play this game?" Deeks rolled over, propped his head on his fist and looked at him.

"Why not? You ask me, I ask you, we don't answer what we don't want to. It's one way to pass the night if neither one of us can sleep. Course, we can always tell ghost stories instead."

Deeks quickly shook his head no and said. "Ok then. I ask first."

"I'm senior, I get to go first."

"Nope, it's my way or the highway. I'm perfectly content to just sleep the night away."

"So, you're telling me you've not curious about me?"

"G, you know me by now. I'm curious about everyone. However, I also know what it's like to be asked questions I don't really want to answer. I can respect that desire in someone else. Well, except maybe for Kensi. From the very beginning I wanted to know everything I could about her and never let her push me off."

Callen opened his mouth to comment on that there was no 'maybe' about it when he realized that Deeks had done it again. He'd almost distracted him from his original intent and this time, he was having no part of it. He drew in a deep breath and let it out as he wondered if he could do this, this whole idea of tit for tat in the dark, under the L.A. night sky. He decided he could give it a try...with safe guards. "Fine. You get to ask first. But we both agree that, if a question is asked that we don't want to answer, then no is no and we don't push."

Deeks hesitated. He'd been so sure that Callen would decline and he'd be off the hook. He thought about it some more and figured that this might be the only time he'd ever be able to ask questions of the legendary G. Callen and not get beat up or shot. Wait, correct that. Grisha Alexandrovich Nikolaev Callen. He smiled as he remembered Sam teasing his partner and best friend about getting a new badge with the whole name on it, saying that he was surprised it all fit. He let out the breath and agreed, hoping he wasn't making a mistake, pretty sure Callen was thinking the same.

"Ok, G. My first question." He paused and one popped into his head. He asked quietly, wanting to be sure that no one could accidentally, or on purpose, overhear him. "During the microbot case, when Sonny Amador was killed trying to blackmail the traitor, you told his buddy Lance that you'd been in 37 foster homes. You said some of them were good until something happened. I've wondered since then, what kind of things happened?"

All things considered, Callen thought this wasn't so bad a start. He wondered if Deeks was trying to ease his way into this game they were playing. He thought of two stories he could relate and suddenly realized, it wasn't as easy as he'd first believed. He found he'd almost rather the question had been about the abuse he'd let slip a couple times. For some reason, this bothered him more than that. These were the times when his hopes had been raised and then crushed. The ones where he was hurt by the people who were supposed to care for him? That had come to be expected. He gathered his thoughts. _I can do this._

"When I was nine, I was sent to a home where the couple was good to me. I wanted so desperately to fit in, to be wanted. I was so tired of being shuttled from place to place. I started doing things around the house to help out, without being asked. Clearing the table, loading the dishwasher, helping with yard work. They had a biological son of their own, about thirteen if I remember correctly. He was either at school, out with his friends or holed up in his room every day and he balked at doing any chores. At first, it was all good with him. He didn't have to do anything; I'd do it for him. Eventually his folks started to ask him why he couldn't be more like me and this didn't sit so well with him. The first time it was a cassette tape that went missing and somehow ended up in my room. He made quite a stink about it being gone and about how I'd said I wished it was mine."

He laughed humorlessly. "I didn't even like the group! I told his dad that and he believed me, he'd heard me give my opinion about their music. He fluffed it off as the tape getting caught up with something else. Like maybe his wife had accidentally picked it up with the laundry and left it in my room. Everything was okay for a couple days, until the next item went missing and once again showed up in my room. This time it was the kid's watch that had been given to him by his grandfather. This time the father remembered that I'd admired it and, yeah, he easily believed I'd stolen it. Like that cheap watch would be what I would've taken if that was my intent! I made the mistake of saying his son had planted it and I was being framed. He backhanded me and told me to keep my filthy mouth shut!" He realized he was getting heated and took a calming breath. "I was sent back to the orphanage that day, my continuing denials falling on deaf ears and I was branded a thief."

"G…"

"Let me repeat what you said to me this morning Artie. Never pity me!"

Deeks huffed out a laugh. "I would never think to pity you! I value my life."

"You'd better!"

"I have a feeling that wasn't the only time."

"Oh no, it's my turn."

"I'll give you that. Ok, your turn."

Callen thought for a bit. There were so many that came to mind. He decided on one. Like Deeks, he asked quietly, his voice low and serious. "You seem to know this area really well but say you never actually lived on the streets. How is that? I know you don't have all that much free time to come down here and map it out, at least not now. Between work and Kensi, I can't see you being able to be here more than maybe one day or night every few weeks."

There was silence for a moment and Callen figured he'd be hearing Deeks say no and he'd have to move on. He was surprised when he a softly spoken. "Her name was Trina."

Callen waited to hear what came next, not sure what one had to do with the other. When there was no follow-up, Callen prompted him. "Trina?"

Deeks sighed and rolled back onto his back. He stared up at the underneath of the tarp and remembered the first time he'd run away and ended up down here. "I was seven. My dad had beat my mom almost unconscious. When she wasn't any more sport, he turned on me. It wasn't the first time; it was just the first time it got that bad. I managed to get away from him and ran until I couldn't run anymore. I ended up down here, bruised and bloody. We didn't live all that far away but I was just a kid. I was scared and I was lost. This big black woman approached me. She was dirty and dressed in ragged clothes but, for some reason, I didn't fear her. Maybe I had just given up. She was gentle and she was kind. She listened to me, didn't talk down to me. I ended up telling her everything, things I hadn't told anyone else about what was going on at home. She asked me if there was anyone at school I could talk to. I told her I was afraid of what would happen if I did. Told her I was afraid for my mother and what would happen to her if I wasn't there. She understood and asked me if I truly wanted to go home. I said yes and then freaked out when I realized I didn't know how to get there. She walked me to the nearest bus stop and talked the driver into letting me get on for free. It didn't get me home, but it did get me to a place I recognized. When I finally got there, dad had passed out on the couch and mom had bandaged herself up. She didn't seem to even realize I'd been gone."

He paused and Callen was silent, not wanting to break his concentration. "After that, Trina was a refuge of sorts. I would come down here when I could, or when I needed to get away from him, and she would walk me around. She had a speech impediment that made it hard for her to pronounce her M's so when she introduced me as Marty, it sounded like Artie and so he was born. Most everyone loved her and no one bothered me when I was with her. I learned the area pretty well during those visits, over the weeks and months and years. I was kind of informally adopted by her and her friends. It was her home and she was good to me. That makes it important to me. I still come down when I can, do what I can. I know that, if I'd said I didn't want to go home, that I didn't want to be turned over to the state, that she would have taken me in, protected me with her life. I loved her for that."

"She sounds amazing."

"That she was." He cleared his throat a little, choked up at the memories. "My turn. Second incident you thought of telling me after the theft one." Knowing Deeks was done for the moment and surprised that the other man had somehow known there was more than one, Callen settled himself deeper into the grass under his butt, trying to make himself a little more comfortable, not sure if he really wanted to relive this one. Surprisingly, the last story had been a little cathartic so he decided to chance it.

"I was thirteen this time and starting to fill out, not the scrawny little kid I used to be. I was taken in by family of three who were willing to take a chance on a thief. This time they had a daughter, much older than me. She was seventeen and daddy's little girl. Jake had desperately wanted a son but they'd only had the one child. She was as girly as they came and he was into cars and sports. I'd learned to be careful by then, I did what I was asked to do but I didn't go above and beyond, didn't single myself out from the biological child, or at least, so I thought. I liked cars, I liked sports and Jake and I bonded over that. He began teaching me how to keep a car in good shape and he was the one who introduced me to the more intricate details of baseball and football. I thought things were good and I let my guard down a little." He paused, remembering, then continued.

"Turned out Amanda wasn't happy that she no longer had daddy's undivided attention. All it took was him telling her she couldn't have the car one Saturday because he was showing me how to change the oil and suddenly I was public enemy number one. A few nights later, she knocked on my door and asked for my help, said there was a spider in her bedroom. I knew she hated them and I fell for it. I went with her and, once I was in the room, she ripped her nightgown at the neck and started screaming. Mommy and daddy came running and she accused me of coming into her room while she was asleep and assaulting her, touching her, trying to kiss her. Jake was beyond livid and I thought my life would end that night no matter how much I tried to tell him the truth. I think a little part of him believed me because he only beat me bloody, not unconscious. And so, back I went. I thought for sure I'd have another black mark against my name, this time as a sex offender. Like I said, I think he suspected what the truth was but…it was his little girl versus a kid off the streets who they'd taken in out of the goodness of their hearts. The mother believed everything Amanda said and she wanted me gone that moment. Jake took care of it but told the social worker it just hadn't worked out, didn't mention the supposed assault."

"That's just messed up!"

"Tell me about it. Funny thing is? I ran into her in a bar a little over ten years ago. I had just made the switch from the company to NCIS. We'd had a long difficult case that was finally over but it had cost us one of our own. Sam and I were partners but we weren't friends back then, not like we are today, so I really didn't have anyone to decompress with. I stopped in, alone, to have a beer and try to wind down. I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when these two women sat down next to me. The one closest to me started to come on to me and I was a little interested until I turned to look at her. I recognized her immediately. She hadn't changed that much, just older and harder. Talk about a buzz kill!"

"What did you do?"

"Well, it was obvious that she had no idea who I was. I was older, taller. I'd filled out. I let her go on for a bit and then indicated I was totally not interested, might even have been a little brutal about it. To say she didn't take it well…that would be an understatement. I got the feeling she was still used to getting what she wanted, something else that hadn't changed. She started yelling at the top of her lungs, asking why I wouldn't leave them alone, why I couldn't take the hint that she wasn't interested, to keep my hands off her. Trying to make it sound like I'd been harassing her. Her girlfriend made herself small, looked like she was trying to sink into the floor. It only took a few seconds for the bouncer to show up. I never even looked at him, just pulled out my badge, opened it and said 'Federal Agent'. He walked away and she was silent, but I could see the wheels turning. I put my badge away, threw money on the bar and stood up. I looked down at her and asked 'Still afraid of spiders, Amanda?' and then I headed for the door. She started yelling at me again, saying she remembered me now, that she couldn't believe they'd let a rapist become a federal agent."

"Oh man…"

"Yeah, not what I was looking for when I stepped into that bar. I turned back and looked at her. Then I said calmly and quietly, but loud enough to be heard by everyone in that bar, 'You need help Amanda. I hear most health insurances cover psychiatric care. You should look into that.' I turned around to leave but I will always remember the look of utter shock on her face. I'm not proud to say I felt some satisfaction. As I walked out the door, the bouncer patted me on the shoulder and whispered that I shouldn't worry about what she'd said. She was a regular and they'd had issues with her before, no one would believe a word she said. I just nodded at him and left."

"Jesus G, Nate would have a field day with her!"

Callen started to laugh, picturing Nate having a go at Amanda. He knew that was exactly the response Deeks had been going for and he felt a little lighter. "Ok, my turn again. You told me how you met Trina and that she was a refuge for you. Tell me more about why."

Deeks sighed and thought about it. He sat up and pulled his legs in, Indian style, resting his arms on his knees. There was something about it being dark out, something about knowing the man opposite him would probably understand, that led him to being open and honest. Something he hoped he wouldn't regret tomorrow in the bright light of day. "The beatings at home got worse. I ended up in the hospital so many times. Each time, I listened carefully to what my dad said and I repeated it when the doctor or nurse asked me what happened. I'm pretty sure they suspected but they couldn't prove anything and eventually had to send me home with him. When I was eight, Ray moved in next door and I had an ally. When I was ten, he saw how things were headed and gave me a .38 for protection, told me not to ask where he got it. He taught me how to load it, how to shoot it. I tried to get him to come down to the Row to meet Trina but he wouldn't go. He badmouthed the homeless in that area, parroting what his own abusive dad had said. So, I would come down by myself when I just couldn't stand it anymore. More often than not, covered in old and new bruises. Ones I'd hide at school under long sleeved shirts and long pants. When I came down here, more often than not I had on shorts and a t-shirt to try to keep cool. I could tell it bothered her but she didn't judge me for staying. I always wondered if she understood, if she'd gone through something similar. You know what happened when I was eleven. Dad got so bad one day after losing yet another job. He was so drunk he could barely stand but he managed to beat me with a broom, breaking my left arm in three places. He'd already beaten my mom unconscious. I knew I didn't have a choice, nobody else was going to protect us. I went and got that gun but, when I got back to the kitchen, I saw that he'd already pulled out his shotgun. He actually shot it at me, left me with some buckshot in the right side. I didn't think, I didn't hesitate. I shot him. I dropped the gun and ran without thinking, so sure that the police would put me in jail. There were only two people I could turn to and I was afraid to bring trouble down on one of them. So, I ran to Trina."

"Did she help you?"

Deeks felt the vestiges of the long ago grief well up. "No. When I got down here, I found one of her friends, told them I needed to talk to her. I was in pain, bleeding and barely coherent. He told me Trina had died a few days earlier. No one was really sure why, she just didn't wake up one morning. I just stood there in shock, not able to think, not able to plan. I turned away from him and ran again. Somehow I ended up back home. I found myself thinking that maybe I'd just let it happen. Maybe jail would be better than what home had become. I got there before the police. I guess it took a while before someone in the neighborhood worked up enough interest to call them. Everything was just the way I'd left it. Mom and dad both bleeding on the floor. I wasn't sure if either one of them was even alive. I picked up the gun again and trained it on him, afraid that, if he wasn't dead he might wake up at any moment and come after me again. That's how the police found me."

Callen wasn't sure what to say. He knew Deeks wouldn't want any platitudes or pity so he said the first thing that came into his head. "Good for you!" Deeks just stared at him, open mouthed. "What? Did you think I was gonna tell you that you shouldn't have shot the bastard? That you shouldn't have done everything in your power to protect yourself and your mom? Jesus, there were times I was in places that I would have given anything to have a gun. My only choice was to run but then, I didn't have anyone I loved that I was leaving behind."

Deeks mouth closed as he thought over what this man, a man whose opinion he respected, had just said and he finally found a measure of acceptance within himself for his actions that day. "That…that means a lot to me, coming from you."

"I mean it Artie. I would have done the same thing. Hell, I'm not sure I would even have waited as long as you did."

"Yeah, well, we all know you have a tendency to go all lone wolf at times and with no Hetty around to taser you."

As a joke, it fell flat, but Callen knew he was trying to cover up the emotions his story had brought up. He let it slide. "So, what happened?"

"One of the cops talked me into giving up the gun, assured me I wasn't going to jail. He told me that he knew about all the domestic calls his precinct took from our house. Once he had the gun, the paramedics were allowed in and we were all taken to the hospital. I didn't want them to work on me. I was out of my mind with fear, convinced my mom was dead and that somehow, some way, I was to blame. Afraid that they were going to hurt me. I finally told them about the one other person I trusted. Told them, screamed at them that I wanted Sam."

"Sam?"

"Samuel Deeks. He was a friend and the only adult I really trusted. He owned a music shop that I stumbled into one day. He took his time with me, taught me to trust him. Hell, he even got Ray to trust him and that is one hard nut to crack. Sam always told me I could count on him whenever I needed him. He knew something bad was going on at home. The hospital called him and he came right away. He calmed me down, got me to allow the doctors to take care of me. He was my first and last foster home. Lasted sixty days."

"He gave you up?" Callen was furious.

"No, G, he adopted me. Gave me my first real experience of what a happy home was like. He loved me like a son and showed me what a father should be. He was a widower with no kids of his own. His wife and unborn child had died years ago. It was tough to convince the courts that he was the right person to take me on but we were lucky. We had a sympathetic social worker on our side. He worked tirelessly to get it approved and I've thanked my lucky stars every day since then. I would have turned out much differently without Sam's influence in my life."

"Is he still alive?"

"No." The tone in Deeks's voice let Callen know to leave this line of questioning alone.

"Was he related to you?"

"No."

"So Deeks isn't your birth name?"

"No, I was born Martin Andrew Brandel. I changed my name as soon as Sam adopted me. I wanted no part of Gordon John Brandel left in my life."

"What about crazy Aunt Barbara? She didn't want you?"

"No, she never wanted children and, while I think she cares about me… from a distance, she wanted no part of Brandel's brat in her home. My mom was her sister and she hated my dad with a passion for what she knew he was doing to her. To this day I think she's still worried that he's lurking in me somewhere." He sighed and said softly. "I can understand her concern."

"You what? Why in the world would you think that?"

"He's a part of my genetic makeup, G. And there are times when I see him in me, especially when I'm under as Max. Max is based on him and he scares me sometimes."

"You are not your father and you never will be! I've seen you as Max, we all have. We also all have aliases just as bad, some even worse. It's an unfortunate part of the job. But, if you were your father, you wouldn't come back from it like you do, even when it's hard to."

Something Nate said to him on the beach in Venice when he'd tracked him down for their 'talk' after Sidorov, popped into Deeks's head. Quietly he said. "I guess it would be of more concern if I didn't worry about it?"

"Damn straight. You're a good man and I have no worries that you'd ever treat Kensi, or any other woman, the way your dad treated your mom. Have you ever beaten up a woman when you were under as Max?"

"What? No! Other guys, yeah, but never a woman! May have treated them badly, hurt their feelings but I never laid a hand on any of them, not in that way!"

"There you go then."

Deeks blew out a breath, thinking about what Callen had said. He wondered if he would ever be able to fully let go of the fear that he could turn into his father and then he realized, maybe it's a good thing that he didn't. It kept him vigilant and careful. He felt some of the weight on his shoulders lift a little. It would never be fully gone, but it was manageable. He grinned at the senior agent who wrinkled his nose at the sight of the fake rotted teeth. "Mind not doing that Artie? Makes my skin crawl!"

He laughed and flopped back down on his back. Unexpectedly, a huge yawn escaped. "Enough show and tell for tonight G?"

"Yeah, I think I've had enough. Try to get some sleep." With that, Deeks rolled over and was gone within moments. Callen slowly sat up and watched him sleep. He thought about everything they'd shared tonight and knew he would never tell another living soul what Deeks had told him, not even to his Sam, just like he knew Deeks would never repeat his stories, even to Kensi. He sighed, they were quite the pair. He reached out and placed a gentle hand lightly on Deeks's shoulder. "I'm here and I'll watch out for you, always."

~,~,~,~

A/N4 – Yes 4! I wanted to focus on the foster homes Callen was in where the parents weren't abusive. I think we can all imagine what happened there. Instead, I wanted to explore the ones he mentioned in the episode Skin Deep where it starts out good, the child begins to get comfortable and then something happens.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Callen woke as he always did. Deep asleep to wide awake in an instant. He stretched and felt his joints pop satisfactorily. He turned to see if Deeks was still asleep and was surprised to see an empty space where the detective had been. He stood and exited the shelter, trying to decide the best direction to start his search for his absent partner. He didn't have far to look as he saw the man in question heading his way, Monty at his side. Now he knew where Deeks had gone, to see Chet and retrieve his dog. He stayed where he was, watching as the two made their way back to their shelter. Deeks would stop now and then to chat to someone he knew and his hand would often find its way into a pocket, pulling out a treat for human or animal, sometimes both. The handoff would be stealthily done and if Callen didn't know what was happening, he wouldn't have known anything had exchanged hands. He studied him unseen and made a mental note of the way he walked, the way he acted with people. His walk was still not the confident stride Callen was used to seeing and he would swear the man was shorter than he knew him to be. He'd known Deeks had a reputation as a good undercover operative, but this was the closest Callen had ever been to it long term and he found himself impressed.

Deeks eventually reached the shelter and Monty ran up to Callen to say hello. He bent down and scratched the dog behind the ears. Looking up he grinned to Deeks. "Monty's sleepover done?"

Deeks grinned back. "Yes and I have it on good authority that he was a perfect gentleman!"

Callen looked back down at the dog and patted him on the head. "Good boy Monty! I don't think I would have wanted to fight Chet over Rondo's honor!"

Deeks chuckled and walked back into their shelter. "You hungry?"

"I could eat. And I'd kill for a coffee!"

"Sorry, no coffee but I managed to scavenge up a breakfast sandwich with bacon." He held out a paper bag and Callen took it. Opening it, the smell of egg and bacon escaped and his stomach grumbled. He looked up to find Deeks smiling at him.

"Thanks! Um, where did you get this?"

"The Midnight Mission over on San Pedro. Artie is pretty well known there and they let me take an extra for you. And, before you ask, trust me when I say their coffee is not something that I would recommend!"

"Why didn't you just wake me up and let me go with you?"

"Aww, you looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you." Deeks joked.

Callen just shook his head and wolfed down the sandwich. When he was done, he looked at Deeks and asked. "Did Chet have any new information?"

"Sort of. One of his guys said that David and Carrie were spotted over on Sanford Ave."

Callen frowned. "That's close to Alameda."

Deeks nodded. "Yeah, I thought the same thing. Chet said that was the area that he's going to take us to today."

"Hopefully we'll find the two of them and get them home. Then we can focus exclusively on the scumbags stealing these kids!"

"I hope so. Chet should be by shortly. He'll take us to the last place he saw the men he was talking about."

"We should check in before he gets here." Both reached up and turned on their earwigs, keeping watch on the area around them, making sure no one could hear them. "Eric? Deeks and I are checking in."

"Hey guys! How was your night?" Eric's voice came over comms.

The two men exchanged looks and shrugged. Callen answered. "I've had a worse night's sleep. You guys find anything new?"

"Nothing. We got Chet de-haired and Nell is running him through facial rec now. No hits yet. We've done deeper background searches on Trip and Christy. Nothing else came up other than what we've already told you. Still no hits on facial rec for anyone else you met yesterday."

"Ok. Well, keep on it and pay close attention to the cameras today. We're being taken to where our only suspects were last seen. In addition, we have intel that the Parkinson's were seen in that area. If we find then, we'll want someone close by in order to extract them before we lose them again."

"Will do! I'll tell Hetty to assign someone to be close by. Next check in in six hours unless you find them or the suspects?"

"Sounds good Eric."

Deeks asked the question that was now foremost on his mind. "Is Kensi there?"

"No. Sorry dude, she isn't. No one else is in yet."

Deeks sighed. "No problem. Tell everyone we said hi."

"You got it. Be safe!"

"Always!" Both men turned off their comms and sat to await Chet's arrival.

Callen looked at Monty and asked. "Did Monty get something to eat?"

"Yeah, Chet shared some of Rondo's food from POTH with him. He also got some water. Why? You worried about him?"

"Why wouldn't I be? He's part of this team too."

Deeks looked at him in surprise. He'd thought Callen's reaction to Monty was closer to Sam's original irritation. He found his team leader's concern for the animal heartening. He smiled at him and Callen smiled back. The smiles faded as Deeks asked. "We need a plan about what to do if we find David and Carrie. We're supposed to know him and if he doesn't recognize us, we don't want to have to blow our covers. There's too much at stake."

"We could say it's his illness and Carrie wouldn't be expected to know us. She would never have met Artie or Greg."

Deeks looked less than thrilled. "Maybe one of us could distract Chet and let David in on who we are?"

"Do you really think he'll keep that quiet?"

"If we tell him that we're here to take care of the kidnappers, he might. Tell him his father sent us to help."

"Well, we'll play it by ear. Decide what to do when we assess their conditions but we need to be on the same page. You need to follow my lead without question. You know we're going to have to split up. One of us will need to take them to whoever Hetty sends. It would make the most sense for it to be me and for you to stay here. Chet trusts you the most. I just need to know that you will wait for me to come back. That you won't go after these guys on your own, no matter what!"

Deeks nodded his assent, even while knowing that, if a child was in danger he would not be able to heed his team lead's orders. He was about to say something along those lines but closed his mouth and stood up. He'd seen Chet approaching. Callen got up as well and the three of them waited at the entrance to their shelter for the older man to reach them. Callen held out his hand when he reached them, wishing him a good morning. Chet shook it and replied in kind, asking if they were ready to head out. Both nodded and Chet indicated which way they would be heading. The two men and the dog fell into step with him.

Chet struck up a conversation with Callen, his curiosity about the man still high. "So, Greg. How long have you and Artie known each other?"

Deciding it would be easier to stick as close to the truth as possible, Callen answered. "Seven years, going on eight."

"How'd you meet?"

Again figuring it would be easier to stick close to the truth, just not the whole truth, he replied. "He and my best friend got into a fight. My friend won. We all became friends after that."

"Artie? Fighting? That doesn't seem like him."

"Oh, he's a scrapper when he has to be. Mostly, he prefers to talk his way out of things."

"Now _that_ sounds like the Artie I know. He can talk your ear off."

"And tell you next to nothing while he's doing it!"

Deeks decided it was time to interject. "You guys do know I'm right here and can hear every word you're saying, don't you?"

Both men answered at the same time. "Yes." They looked at each other and laughed. Deeks pretended to pout for a good minute before he relented and joined in.

Continuing their walk, Chet kept trying to pump Callen for information. "So, you said one of your foster parents spoke Russian and taught it to you? Did you live with them for long?"

"Not really, just a few months."

"What happened?"

"What always happened. They decided I was too much trouble and sent me back."

"How many homes were you in?"

"Thirty-seven."

"Thirty-seven? Did you say _thirty-seven_?"

Callen wished he'd been less honest about this. "I did." His tone shut Chet down for the moment. Deciding it was time to turn the tables, he started asking questions of his own. "How long have you lived out here?"

"I've lost track of the time but I figure it's been close to twenty years."

"That's a long time." Callen said quietly.

"It's my choice. I'm happier with my life now than I was before."

"That's a harsh choice."

"It was, but I have friends here, people I care about, people who depend on me."

"Then it's not such a bad life."

"No, it's not." He paused and then asked. "What brought you out here?"

Callen had a story prepared for this. "I have a…tendency to want to do things my way. It didn't always go over well with my employers and I got a reputation. Eventually I found myself unable to get a job. I went through what little money I had saved and ended up tossed out of my apartment on my ear. It was easier to stay on the streets and here I am."

Chet nodded, looking thoughtful. He was pretty sure the man was mostly telling him the truth but was covering up some things. He was good at figuring out when people were lying to him. He'd been taught how to do that by the best. He stopped himself from going down that path. Looking around he noticed that Artie was out of earshot. "Yes, well, I'm glad that Artie has you." He said quietly.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

"I do. There's just something about him that seems to draw you in, you know? Even with the drug use. I really wish he'd get clean, he has so much potential! He's kind, he's smart and Rondo absolutely adores him and that dog doesn't take to just anyone!"

Callen realized that Chet was absolutely convinced that Deeks was a drug addict. He wondered if they'd be down here long enough for the detective to treat him to whatever behavior convinced this obviously astute man that he was withdrawing and needed a fix. He found himself of two minds on this. On one hand, he'd like to see what Deeks came up with, on the other hand it would mean that they hadn't been able to find the Parkinson's and stop the bad guys yet. He didn't immediately notice that Chet had stopped walking. He looked around and saw they were on Sanford Ave. "Artie said this was the last place David and Carrie were seen?"

"Yes. One of my guys came to me early this morning to say they were seen here as late as last evening. He came back down once he talked to me, to see if he could find them. I'm to meet him on the corner of Sanford and South Central." He pointed to the next corner. "That's him. He's skittish so I need both of you to hang back here."

Both men nodded and watched as Chet walked towards a teenager who was leaning up against a lamp post. The youngster stood up straight when Chet approached and they shook hands. Both Deeks and Callen wished they had Kensi's ability to read lips as they watched the conversation taking place up the street. The younger man pointed up East Fourth, towards Towne Avenue. Chet nodded, the two shook hands again and the boy melted away into the rest of the population. The older man returned to them and said. "He's seen them. Just about a half hour ago, they were down on Crocker, the other side of Towne. Let's go." With that he turned to lead the way.

Once his back was turned, Callen turned on his comms and Deeks followed suit. Pretending to talk with Callen, he said quietly. "The Parkinson's have been spotted on Towne Avenue, near East Fourth. Is there someone in the area like we asked?"

Eric's response was immediate. "Yeah, Hetty sent Franklin down there. He's waiting at the corner of East Fourth and Seaton. I'll let him know where to meet you guys once you make contact."

"Thanks Eric. We'll leave comms on for now."

"Great, we'll be listening."

They moved quicker to catch up with Chet. They were all silent as they made the turn onto East Fourth and headed towards Towne. They crossed Towne and continued on to Crocker. Once they reached it, they took the left and slowed. Deeks and Chet took the south side of the street and Callen crossed to the north side. All three of them began scanning the area for a glimpse of either David or Carrie. It was about fifteen minutes before Deeks caught sight of a brunette girl that looked to be about the right age as Carrie from the back. He nodded towards her and the two of them sped up to reach her side. Chet tapped her on the shoulder and the child swung around. Both were disappointed to find that it wasn't Carrie after all. Deeks mumbled an apology and shuffled away, Chet at his side. The child watched them go with suspicion and then turned to enter the house where she lived. She would later tell her parents about the two men with the dog who had stopped her. Both yelled at her that she knew she was not to go outside alone and sent her to her room. The homeless were not the only ones to have heard about children disappearing off the streets down here. So far, none taken had had homes, at least not that they'd heard, but that could change at a moment's notice and they were taking no chances with their baby.

Out on Towne, the three men continued their search. Another half hour passed and they were starting to think that the Parkinson's had moved on when Callen sighted David. He was arguing with a woman, his body shielding his little girl who was trembling behind him. As they neared, they could hear the woman accusing him of being a pervert and David was accusing her of trying to steal his daughter. Callen double tapped his earwig and Eric let him know they were paying attention. When they got to the three of them, Deeks and Chet separated the woman from the other two, Deeks making sure to get a good angle of her for the camera.

Over comms they heard Eric say. "Got her! Running through facial rec now."

Callen pulled David and Carrie further away from Deeks, Chet and the still sputtering woman who was now accusing the two of them as being 'in on it' with David. Whatever 'it' was. Quietly he said. "David Parkinson?"

David looked at him in confusion. He was pretty sure he didn't know this man but sometimes, when he was off his meds, his memory wasn't the best. He nodded his head. Keeping a hand on David's arm in case he bolted, Callen said. "We were sent here by your father, Daniel. He wants you and Carrie to come home."

"I can't leave here! Someone is stealing children right off these streets and no one else is doing anything!"

"We know about that and someone is doing something! We are! Your dad asked us to look into that as well and we already have a lead on four men. But we need to know that you and your daughter are safe so we can concentrate on finding these people and shutting them down!"

David looked Callen directly in the eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. "Who are you?"

Taking a chance, knowing David had been Navy, he decided to tell him the truth. "NCIS."

David relaxed as he recognized the organization. He had the utmost respect for them and knew that they were not widely known about outside the Navy. "You're really here because my dad asked you to come for us? To help me?"

"Yes David. We have someone waiting to take you to him. My partner and I will stay here and do everything in our power to make sure the children on the streets are safe from these people. Can I take the two of you with me now?"

David stepped back a little and narrowed his eyes at Callen. His paranoia was back. "Can I see a badge?"

"I couldn't bring my badge with me down here but I will make sure the agent waiting for us shows you his before asking you to get into the car with him."

David was about to say no when Carrie tugged on his pants leg. He looked down at the most important person in his world and heard her whisper. "Daddy? I want to go home. I miss grampy! Please, can't we go home now?" He looked back at Callen and finally nodded. He was pretty good in a fight and, if this man turned out not to be who he said he was, he would do whatever he needed to do to protect his little girl from him.

Callen heard Eric tell Deeks over the comms that David was cooperating and that they were going to split off to meet Franklin. Softly he said. "Eric, have Franklin meet us at the corner of Crocker and Seventh. We should be there in about ten minutes. Tell Deeks I'll meet up with him and Chet at the corner of Seventh and Alameda."

"On it."

Carrie looked up at the man who had said he was a friend of her grampy's, a confused look on her face. "Who are you talking to? Are you like some of the people daddy and I have seen who talk to people who aren't really there?"

Callen laughed. "No sweetie, I'm talking to a friend of mine over a radio I have in my ear. He's sending someone to pick you and your daddy up, to take you to see your grampy. His name is Eric."

"Oh." She paused, thinking about it. "Can I see it? The radio in your ear?"

"When we get to the car, yes. I'll let you see it and I'll even let you talk to Eric if you'd like. He's a really great guy!"

In his ear he could hear Eric choke a little. "Aw, Callen! I didn't know you cared!"

"Don't push it Eric."

Callen, David and Carrie walked down Crocker, leaving Deeks and Chet still arguing with the woman. The further away from her they got, the better Callen felt. They reached the corner where Crocker met Seventh just as Jim Franklin pulled up. When he got out of the car he had his badge out and ready to show as requested. David finally relaxed all the way. These people were who they said they were. He turned to Callen and shook his hand, thanking him.

Carrie looked at her grampy's friend and waited to see if he would remember his promise. Callen smiled and reached up to his ear to pull out the earwig. He cleaned it off on a handkerchief Jim offered him and then he held it up to her ear. "Carrie, say hi to Eric."

"Hi Eric."

"Hi Carrie! We've all so glad we found you! Your grampy was really worried and I know that he's really excited that you and your daddy are on your way home."

The little girl giggled and handed the earwig back to Callen. "It tickles!"

He and Jim laughed and Jim opened the backdoor where a booster seat was waiting for her. Jim buckled her in and handed her a teddy bear he'd brought with him. She smiled up at him and he melted. He shut the door and opened the front door for David. Before David could get in, Callen stopped him. "If you ever put your little girl in danger like that again, I will personally make it my life's mission to make sure you never see her again. My partner is a lawyer as well as a cop and I know he feels the same way. Do I make myself clear?"

David nodded. "I understand." He looked into the backseat of the car where his daughter was talking to the teddy bear, hearing her call it Eric and looked back at the man. "She's my whole world."

"Then prove it! Don't be someone who just comes and goes from her life. You aren't alone in this! Your dad will do whatever it takes to help you, there are people out there who you can talk to, who understand what you're going through. Don't mess this up!"

David swallowed hard and nodded. "I'll talk to my dad. I guess I need to go back on my medication. I hate the way it makes me feel but, I'd hate more to spend the rest of my life not being able to see my little girl." He held out his hand again. "Thank you Agent…"

Callen took it. "Callen."

"Thank you Agent Callen." David turned and got in the car. Jim went around the back and got into the driver's side after telling him to be careful and to tell Deeks as well. Callen stood on the sidewalk and watched the car drive away.

In his ear he heard Eric say. "You guys did good today."

"Thanks Eric, but it's not over yet. I'm heading back into the Row. Let Deeks know I'm on my way."

"He already knows."

Callen turned and headed down Seventh, towards Alameda and his partner. They still had a job to do.

~,~,~,~


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It had been a long and fruitless five days. Once the initial rush of finding David and Carrie wore off, Deeks and Callen had found nothing to lead them to the people taking the children. Chet had been with them every day, looking for the men he'd been suspicious of, but so far, nothing. They hadn't shown up again. At least they could take solace in the fact that no one had reported another child missing, yet.

There had been some highlights, starting with the afternoon they'd found the Parkinson's and handed them off to Jim Franklin. They'd managed to give Chet the slip and check in with OSP. Jim had been on hand and had filled them in on the joyful reunion. Hetty had also informed them that she had given Daniel the name of a doctor who worked with returning veterans and was having good success with alternative treatment that didn't involve the drugs that so many felt did more harm than good. That was the only positive note from that check in as no one else had found anything new to help either.

Another highlight was that both men were getting to know each other better as the days wore on. Deeks finally understood and sympathized with Sam over Callen's nocturnal habits. How the man functioned on so little sleep was beyond him. Callen had discovered that Kensi was right, Deeks talked in his sleep. Not talked to people who weren't there but would have entire conversations with you while completely asleep. The first time it happened was the second night they were down here. He'd been awake, sitting indian style and quietly practicing his Arabic, when Deeks had rolled over and propped his head on his fist, just like the first night.

"G?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever think this was where you would end up?"

"What do you mean? Down here or at NCIS?"

"NCIS. I mean, is this what you wanted to be when you were a kid? What you wanted to be when you grew up?"

"I never really thought about it. All I wanted was to get to the age where I could be responsible for myself and out of the foster care system. But to answer your question, no, this is not where I thought I would end up. If you had told me I'd be in law enforcement when I was younger, I would have thought you were deranged."

"What changed?"

Callen had a one word answer to that. "Hetty."

"Hetty?"

"Hetty. She saw something in me that no one else did. She saved me from ending up in jail one day when I stole a cop car. The cop who caught me couldn't figure it out either, told her she was making a big mistake. She told me she thought I had great potential."

"Well, she was obviously correct!"

"I like to think so. You know, she sees the same thing in you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Why do you think she brought you in?"

"Because you needed to work better with the LAPD?"

Callen snorted. "Yeah, and you have such a great relationship with your fellow officers!"

"Hey! It's better than it was!"

"Yeah, I know. I also know she offered you the paperwork to become an NCIS agent and that you turned her down, saying you felt that being a cop was who you were, not just what you do. Still feel that way?" Callen was hoping to figure out exactly what was keeping Deeks from taking that final step. This was a perfect opportunity to further 'Operation Agent Deeks'.

"I'm not so sure anymore. I mean, with everything that happened with McGonagle, it was mostly you guys that got me out and saved my life. I doubt the LAPD would have put as much effort into it."

Callen had to be honest. "I wouldn't go that far Artie. I know Bates would have."

"Yeah, we go way back, Bates and me. Sometimes I think he hates me, other times I think he actually cares."

"He does. I saw it up close and personal while you were unconscious in the hospital. He was furious about it and really worried about you. So, what about you?"

"Huh?"

"Come on Artie, you started this thing! Did you always want to be a lawyer or a cop?"

"No, I planned on being a world famous surfer like Mike Lamm or Herbie Fletcher. Oh, and I wanted to be in rock band that sold millions of records and had adoring fans all over the world!"

"So, law enforcement wasn't on the radar?"

"Hell no. Yet, here I am."

"Here we both are. Now get some sleep, we need to be on the move again first thing in the morning."

"K, night G." Deeks laid back down and was immediately asleep. Or so Callen thought. It wasn't until he brought up the conversation the next morning and saw the confusion on Deeks's face that he realized the detective had never been awake to start with and had no idea what he was talking about. Callen decided not to push it, hoping that more night time revelations might be forthcoming. So far nothing he hadn't already known about had been discussed the next two times it happened.

~,~,~,~

On the fifth full day, Callen started to see Deeks acting a little weird when they were around Chet. Twitchy and short tempered. He wasn't sure what was going on and was surprised when Deeks came up to him early in the afternoon and handed him Monty's rope leash.

"Greg, I gotta go run an errand. Will you watch Monty for me?"

"What? Where are you going? There's still daylight left! We should keep looking!"

"Greg! Just do it, okay? I'll be back."

He turned and walked away. Callen started after him but Chet stopped him. "Let him go Greg. I'm surprised he's lasted as long as he has."

"What do you mean?"

"He's starting to jones for another fix. Like I said, I'm surprised he's lasted this long."

Callen thought fast. "Yeah, he had a little something with him when we got here. I didn't realize he would be out this quick."

"Drugs are an evil mistress."

"I need to watch out for him, will you take care of Monty?" Callen handed Chet the leash.

"Of course I will. You're a good friend Greg."

"I try to be."

Callen headed in the direction he'd last seen Deeks walking. He hurried and finally caught sight of him a few hundred yards ahead of him. He slowed so that he wouldn't be seen. He knew Deeks wasn't going to meet a drug dealer and he was curious about what this errand was all about. He followed behind as Deeks slowly made his way back towards the area they had come through by the mural at San Julian Street. Once out of the 'city limits', Deeks again took on the persona Callen had seen that first day. Shuffling along the street, he stopped at every trash can and dumpster, opening them and rooting around in the trash, mumbling to himself, sometimes singing off key. He eventually reached the warehouse they'd use as a staging area and shuffled inside.

Callen went as far as he dared and then crouched down behind a dumpster sitting to the left of the door Deeks had disappeared through. He could hear the sounds of voices but not what they were saying. One definitely sounded feminine and, when he heard a kind of snort-laugh he instantly recognized, he knew who Deeks was meeting. Kensi. He wondered why he hadn't just said so. The voices silenced and he waited, figuring that Deeks would be out shortly. He wasn't mistaken. When he heard the sound of footsteps, he shoved himself further behind the dumpster and waited. He saw Deeks shuffle out of the building and cross the street. He began to head back to the Row on the opposite side of the street, following the same pattern of rummaging through the trash and garbage.

When Callen judged Deeks was far enough away, he left his hiding place, crossed the street and started tailing him again. He hurried a little when his quarry turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He rounded the same corner and came to a skidding halt when he found Deeks leaning against the building, his arms crossed, obviously waiting for him. Damn it, he'd been careful! Deeks should never have been able to tell he was being followed.

"Callen."

"Deeks."

"Want to explain yourself?"

"What?"

Deeks sighed. "Why have you been following me since I left the Row? I asked you to wait with Monty. I assume you handed him off to Chet?"

"How did you…? Never mind. I was worried, okay?"

Deeks eyebrows rose. "Worried? About me?"

"Yeah, you were acting strange and then suddenly you have an 'errand' to run. I wanted to know what was going on."

Deeks pushed off the wall and chuckled. "I knew Chet would be suspicious if I didn't look like I needed a fix. So I started acting like I was jonesing and figured it would be a good chance to see Kensi and lay in some more supplies. I arranged to meet her here today when we had our check in last night." Each night, after check in, everyone allowed the two of them some alone time. "Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"I wanted you to act naturally around Chet. I know you're still suspicious of him because you think he's familiar to you in some way."

Callen scratched his head. "Yeah, I wish I could put my finger on it. There's just something about him that sets off these warnings bells, you know?"

"I do, but I have to tell you, in all the time I've known Chet, he's never been anything but kind and good to me."

"I know. Same with me. I just feel like he's hiding something."

"Aren't we all?"

Callen opened his mouth to respond and realized it was true, he just hoped Deeks's faith in Chet wasn't misplaced. "Let's head back."

The two men turned to go back onto San Julian Street when Deeks pushed Callen back and hissed at him to keep quiet. Peeking around Deeks, he saw a Mercedes Benz sedan stopped across the street and four men were getting out. The driver was a woman in her mid to late forties, well dressed and loaded down with jewelry. The men matched the description Chet had given them.

"Crap!"

"What's the matter Deeks?"

"The woman? That's Rachel Seavers."

"Who?"

"High priced madam. Think Leona Helmsley on steroids. Very well connected. We've been trying to take her down for years but she has too many politicians and wealthy business men on her client list, not to mention, rumor has it, some high ranking officials in law enforcement. Hell, half the time our investigations get shut down before they even start!"

"Would she know you? Could she blow your cover?"

"No, I've never actually met her. We should be good."

They continued to watch the car and could hear Seavers issuing instructions to the four men. "You know what product our client wants. Female, blonde, under ten, pretty and with good teeth. He's willing to pay top dollar. When you find her, let Maggie know. She'll take care of it like always and get the girl to Riley. You can pick her up later from there."

The men nodded and Callen had to restrain Deeks when they heard her refer to a child as 'the product'. The men stepped away from the car and Seavers drove away. They began to walk towards the Row, oblivious to the audience they'd just had, talking amongst themselves. Callen listened intently.

The one who seemed to be the youngest of the four spoke first. "Димитрий, мне не нравится это. Это дети, о которых мы говорим! Это продолжается слишком долго!" _Dimitri, I don't like it. These are children we are talking about! This has been going on too long!_

The one whose name was apparently Dimitri replied. "Держите рот на замке и делать то, что вы сказали! Мы делаем хорошие деньги от этого. Кто заботится о нескольких детей в любом случае?" _Keep your mouth shut and do what you're told! We're making good money off this. Who cares about a few kids anyway?_

The other two men kept their mouths shut as the younger one dropped his head and followed Dimitri down the street. Callen turned and looked at Deeks who was pale under the dirt on his face. Quietly he asked. "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Seavers mentioned a Maggie who was helping them. If it's who I think it is, this will devastate Christy."

"Why? Who is she?"

"She's one of Christy's right hand people. Why would she do this?"

The two men looked at each other and said at the same time. "Money."

"Do you know who Riley is?"

"No, I've never heard that name in connection with anyone out here."

Turning, they followed the four at a safe distance. Once they passed into the Row, the four of them split up and Callen motioned for Deeks to follow the dissenter. He followed Dimitri who appeared to be the leader. The strongest link and the weakest. The other two men disappeared down the street. As Deeks followed the younger man, he spotted Dodger. Motioning him over, he whispered in his ear. "Tell Chet the four men are back and he was right, they're behind this. We may need reinforcements. I'm following one, Greg is following the other. There're two more but we lost them by now. Tell him where we are." Here he paused. "Also, warn him that Maggie may be involved as well as someone by the name of Riley. He has to be sure to tell Christy about Maggie. If he doesn't, she's sure to include Maggie in any plans we make and she could tip these guys off." Other than a momentary look of shock, Dodger said nothing. He just nodded and melted into the crowds.

Reaching up under his cap, Deeks turned on his earwig. "Eric? You there?"

"Yes! Deeks I'm glad you turned on your comms. We saw the men and that woman on video and we're running facial rec on them now."

"Good! Listen, do me a favor will you? Call Bates and tell him Rachel Seavers is involved in this? She's the woman the camera caught."

"Sure. Um, who's Rachel Seavers?"

"High priced madam who has apparently decided to branch out into human trafficking. It sounds like she's taking specific orders from customers and pulling kids off the street who match the request. The four Russian men are working for her."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm following one, G is following another. We overheard that they have people inside the Row who're helping them. We have names for both of them but one I don't recognize. Are you guys on standby?" He paused and said something he'd hoped he wouldn't have to. "We may have to let them take a kid to make sure we get everyone involved. We need to get all of them or this could just continue with new players. We need as many people available as possible to make sure no harm comes to any innocents."

"I understand. We'll be there! I'll let Hetty and Granger know right now."

"Thanks man!"

"You bet. Keep your comms on so we can update you."

"K."

~,~,~,~

Callen continued to follow his guy as the man seemed to aimlessly wander the streets. If he hadn't known what the Russian was looking for, he wouldn't have paid any attention to him. But knowing what he did, he was aware that the man was thoroughly scanning the people he passed. He'd paused once when he saw a blonde child but then kept going. When Callen passed the same child, he noticed her eyes were brown. A small fact but one that might just have saved her from getting caught up in this. He wondered how Deeks was doing.

Deeks was also following his guy through the streets. Like Callen's quarry, the man seemed in no hurry and didn't appear to pay particular attention to anyone or anything. About fifteen minutes into his tail, Dodger caught up with him and said quietly. "Artie, Chet's been updated. He sent word to Trip, Christy, Abbot, Trinity and Jordan. They're going to meet up at Alameda and try to find the other two. I told him about Maggie. He didn't want to tell Christy but he knew he had to. You know how close those two are. He sent her a warning to not tell Maggie anything, that he'd explain when she got here. He also didn't recognize the name Riley. He wants me to stick with you as a runner in case we find anything that needs to get back to the group. He sent Petey to hook up with Greg. Everyone will have runners ready to go where needed."

Deeks sighed and nodded. The idea that someone who worked with the Protectors was involved in this was heartbreaking. The efficiency and speed with which Chet set up a communications relay network was impressive. Maybe today would be the day that they ended this. The two continued to walk, talking softly about nothing, splitting up and then coming back together again, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. The man never noticed he'd picked up two followers.

Across the Row, Callen realized that he'd picked up a tail as well. He worried that they'd been made until he recognized the teenager following him. He'd seen him around Chet's shelter, always wanting to play with Rondo and Monty, but didn't know his name. He couldn't set a trap for him, worried that he would lose sight of the man he was following. Instead, he slowed down and let the boy catch up with him. "What do you want? I'm kind of busy right now."

"Chet sent me. I'm your runner. People call me Petey."

"My what?"

"Your runner. I'm fast and can get messages to anyone you need me to. Chet sent one to Artie as well. Dodger volunteered before I could."

Callen paused, one eye on the boy and one on the Russian slowly moving away from them. "So, you're part of a..sort of…relay network?"

"Yup! No cell phones or radios down here so we have to keep each other informed the old fashioned way. At least that's what Chet says."

Callen had to smile at the adoration in the boy's voice. He obviously idolized Chet. "Okay then Petey, I'm Greg. The man I'm following can't know we're here. Can you make sure he doesn't see you?"

"Of course! I'm pretty skilled at tailing people!"

Callen decided not to inform the boy that he'd picked up on the fact that he was being tailed immediately. He was trained to do so, he hoped the man they were following was not. They followed their target for the rest of the afternoon, watching as he paused now and again when a child caught his attention. One bothered Callen as it appeared the little girl met the criteria. She was blonde, blue eyed and looked to be about eight years old. Yet the man kept going. Eventually they realized the man was heading back to Alameda. Shortly before reaching the area they'd come in through, he was joined by a woman. Callen heard Petey hiss. Quietly he said. "That's Maggie! I didn't want to believe it! I really thought it was a mistake when we heard she might be helping these guys!"

Callen pushed Petey behind him. If Petey knew her, she knew Petey. She didn't know him. He watched as the two talked, once again wishing he could read lips. He could follow enough to know that the man had given this Maggie a general idea of where the little girl he'd seen had been. The woman nodded and melted into a side street. Callen debated. Should he follow the woman and let Petey take the man? Or should he let her go? Making a split second decision, he turned to Petey and whispered. "Keep following him and don't let him out of your sight. When you see Artie or can send another runner, you tell him what we saw. Tell him where the blonde girl was. Let him know I'm following Maggie."

"I will. How will we find you?"

"Just tell Artie. He'll figure it out."

The boy nodded and watched the man he knew as Greg disappear down the same side street as Maggie. He looked back up his street and saw that the man he was to tail was getting further away. He picked up his pace until he was a comfortable distance and followed him back to Alameda where he met up with the other three men of his group. They didn't say much, just nodded and headed back out of the 'city limits'. Petey wondered if he should keep following them when he saw Artie approaching. He breathed a sigh of relief. Artie would know what to do.

~,~,~,~


	13. Chapter 13

A/N – Just a warning that there is some vulgar language in this chapter but only where needed. Wish I could say the same about me….lol!

~,~,~,~

Chapter 13

Deeks and Dodger watched as Petey rapidly approached them. Deeks searched behind him for Callen but didn't see him. When the teenager reached him the first thing he asked was. "Where's Greg?"

"We saw the guy we were following meet up with Maggie. He thinks the guy targeted a little blonde girl and told Maggie about her. He's following Maggie now. Last time I saw them they were heading down East Temple towards the river. Artie, why would she do this?"

"I can only guess that it's for money Petey. Some people lose sight of what's important when money's involved." Deeks had really been hoping he'd misunderstood the overheard conversation or that it was a different Maggie they were talking about. He sighed deeply, knowing this would be another hit to Christy's confidence about her ability to protect her people. "Did Greg give you any message for me?"

"Oh, yeah! He said he wanted you to catch up with him, that you'd know how to find him."

Deeks nodded and heard Eric over comms. "I'm tracking him using his earwig's GPS Deeks. I'll let you know what way to go. We caught the guys on traffic cams leaving the Row. Nell's tracking them now. You don't have to worry about them." He scratched his ear, tapping the earwig once for confirmation.

He turned to Dodger and said "You two go find Chet and let him know what's going on. I'll catch up with Greg."

Dodger shook his head no. "Petey can tell Chet. Both of us don't need to go. I'm staying with you. You may need a runner on this."

Deeks looked at him, knowing it would go better if he was alone but the look on Dodger's face told him he wouldn't be able to sway the younger man. Sighing, he nodded. "Fine. But you do what I say, when I say it. Understood?" Dodger nodded. Turning to Petey, Deeks continued. "Ok Petey. It's up to you. Find Chet and tell him what's going on and where we're going. Tell him not to confront anyone. We need to find out just how many people are involved in this and we don't want to spook anyone."

Petey nodded and turned to leave. He stopped and looked at the other two. "You two will stay safe, right?" Deeks and Dodger both grinned and nodded making Petey feel a little better. He turned and sprinted away.

Dodger waited until he was out of sight and then turned to Deeks. "Ok Artie. You going to tell me how Greg expects you to find him?"

"We know where he was and where he's headed. We'll find him." Dodger raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. They started out towards East Temple.

In his ear, he heard Eric again. "Ok Deeks, we have Callen on GPS. He's on East Temple, moving towards Justin Court. His wig is not on right now so I can't tell him you're on the way." Deeks heart dropped when he heard this. East Temple ran into North Vignes and this was the start of the area he'd told Callen about. The area where there were no Protectors and the worst of the worst hung out. He picked up his pace, wanting to reach his partner before the man unsuspectingly followed Maggie into that area, if in fact that was where she was heading.

He voiced his worry to Dodger, knowing Eric was listening to every word. "Dodger, Greg doesn't know the Row all that well yet. If he follows Maggie down towards North Vignes…."

"I know, that thought crossed my mind as well. Greg would be an immediate target."

Eric's voice came over comms again. "As soon as Callen turns his wig on, I'll let him know not to go any further than Temple and Vignes and to wait for you." Deeks nodded even knowing Eric couldn't see it. They hurried up Alameda, neither saying much, both knowing how bad things could get if they had to enter that section of the Row.

~,~,~,~

Callen followed the woman Petey had recognized as Maggie down East Temple. They had just passed Justin Court and were approaching North Garey. He turned on his earwig, knowing he needed to be in communication with Deeks. As soon as it went on he heard Eric's relieved voice. "Callen, Deeks says that area you're heading towards is really dangerous. He needs you to wait for him at the corner of Temple and Vignes. He's on his way."

Quietly he acknowledged the man's directive. "I hear you Eric. I'll wait there but tell him to get his butt in gear. I'm not taking any chance of losing this woman. Luckily she's not moving fast and has stopped a couple times to talk to people she knows."

"He's closing on you fast. Be advised that Dodger is with him."

"What? Why the hell is he bringing a civilian with him?"

"He didn't have much choice. He tried to get both him and Petey to go inform Chet about what's going on but Dodger refused to leave him. Based on what we've learned about Dodger, even if Deeks insisted, he would've just followed him on his own."

Callen grudgingly agreed with Eric's statement. From what he'd seen so far, all the Protectors were stubborn, but extremely strong, men and women. Probably part of the reason why they did what they did. "Okay but tell him he needs to ditch Dodger when we meet up."

"I kinda think he knows that. His comms are on as well." Both men heard the emphatic tap over comms indicating that Deeks had followed every word but couldn't respond.

"Okay Callen, Deeks and Dodger are closing the gap. They just crossed East First Street."

"Deeks? We're across North Garey, hurry up." He heard another tap on the comms. Damn it, if they didn't catch up with him soon, he'd have to continue on his own, dangerous or not. There was no way he would lose this woman. If another kid went missing, especially one he'd now seen with his own eyes, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Callen, they just took the turn onto East Temple. They should catch up with you in just a few minutes."

"Good to know Eric. Thank you."

He noticed that Maggie seemed to be walking slower and slower as they approached North Vignes. It seemed that the woman was no more eager to enter as he was but it was obvious where she was headed. He hoped this lag would give his partner time to catch up. When she stopped to talk to someone, he nonchalantly leaned up against a wall beside a dumpster. The smell made him nauseous but gave him some cover. He looked back up Temple and was relieved to see Deeks and Dodger heading his way. "Eric? I see them, they're almost here and Maggie is stopped for the moment."

"Thank God. We're following you on GPS and the button cams, but remember there are no traffic cams or anything else we can tap into to watch your backs. Please, be careful, okay?"

"Always Eric." He heard a snort over comms that he recognized as belonging to Sam and then Deeks's laugh. He frowned, wondering why people were having a hard time believing him. He was always careful. He heard Dodger ask why he was laughing and Deeks just replied it was nerves. Maggie still had her back to him, talking to the scruffy looking man she apparently knew well, when the two other men caught up to him. They both leaned up against the wall, using the dumpster and Callen as cover, knowing Maggie would spook if she saw the two of them right behind her.

Dodger looked from one to the other and then stared at Deeks, asking quietly. "Would you care to explain how you knew _exactly_ where Greg was?"

Deeks just shrugged and said. "I didn't. I just figured this is where she was heading when Petey told us Maggie was heading down Temple towards the river. It's the most logical area for them to take the kids without worrying that some Good Samaritan would try to help a child in need. It stands to reason that this is where she's been bringing them."

Dodger narrowed his eyes at the innocent looking Artie and snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Come on Dodger, didn't you think the same thing? You said so yourself." Dodger was still unconvinced but he let it slide.

"So what do we do now?"

"WE do nothing. I need you to go back to Chet and tell them where we're headed. You were right to come with me, I do need a runner."

Dodger opened his mouth to argue but realized he'd been trapped by his own argument. They did need to let Chet know that Maggie was entering the worst section of the Row and that Artie and Greg were following her. It made the most sense for him to be the runner. Neither of them was as quick as he was. He sighed and nodded. He looked into Artie's eyes and held his stare. Deeks stared back, trying to convey his confidence that they would be okay. Dodger nodded once and turned to look at Greg. "You take care of him, you understand me?" Callen nodded once. "Take care of yourself too. You're one of us now!" With that he turned and took off. The two he left behind watched him melt away and turned back to watch Maggie. She finished up her conversation and slowly made her way over Vignes, heading towards Center. She took a left down an alley before reaching it.

Deeks and Callen hurriedly followed and Callen peeked around the corner. She wasn't very far ahead of them and he gestured for Deeks to wait. When she was far enough ahead, he turned the corner, Deeks on his heels. A Deeks who wasn't happy about this at all. But he knew he and Callen needed to go into the one area that he was afraid of. As they grew close to the end of the alley that was the entry into the area, Callen commented about the markings on the walls of the buildings on both sides of the alley. "What do you know about these gang tags Artie?"

Deeks stared at them for a moment and then he startled himself with realization. "Those aren't gang tags, Greg. If you straighten them all out, it's Italian. I've seen this before. I read a book in college called Dante's Inferno. It's a book about the nine gates of hell and in the book Dante passes through the gate of Hell and this saying. 'Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate', which is most frequently translated as 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here', was written on an archway leading through the gate. That book really stayed with me, very powerful stuff!"

"Pretty sophisticated for the kind of people you told me lived down here."

"Who knows who put it there? You should know by now that people down here are not always as they appear."

The hackles on both of their necks went up and it was with great trepidation that they started to enter the area, knowing they had no choice.

~,~,~,~

Once inside the area they had now termed 'Hell's Gate', they'd separated, with Callen following Maggie. Deeks had split off and was following them from a street over, Eric guiding him. It made the most sense for it to be Callen as she would have recognized Deeks. They'd been following her for about fifteen minutes and she still hadn't noticed when she suddenly stopped and looked back. Callen could tell when he'd been made when she turned and picked up her pace. Damn it. He whispered over comms that he'd been made and Deeks immediately responded. "I've got an idea. Follow my lead." Callen frowned, wondering what the other man had in mind but trusting in him.

Deeks picked up his pace and asked Eric for a side street he could go down and cut Maggie off. He took the right Eric indicated and then another right to put himself into her path, slowing down. She skidded to a stop when she saw Deeks heading her way and then behind her to see the other man she thought was following her, still behind her. She was undecided what to do when Deeks pretended to notice her. "Maggie? What the hell are you doing down here?"

"Me? What are you doing here Artie? Are you following me?"

"How the hell could I be following you if I'm coming from the direction you're heading? Plus, why the hell would I want to?" His voice was rough and he was doing his best twitch. Maggie realized Artie needed a fix and she relaxed a little. She turned and saw the other man approaching. She watched him warily but he walked right by her without giving her a second glance.

Callen walked up to Deeks and Deeks responded by shoving him. "What the hell Greg? You followed me?"

Following his lead, Callen shoved back and replied. "Hell yes, I followed you! Did you think I wouldn't figure out what you meant when you said you had an errand to run? Did you think I didn't know you've been jonesing for a fix? I lost you on Temple but you weren't that hard to find again. Damn it, Artie! I thought you were going to get straight! You promised me!"

Deeks responded by clumsily taking a swing at Callen, telegraphing his intent and Callen was easily able to skip out of his way. "I don't need a keeper Greg, and if I want to get a little hit, what's it to you? Fuck off!"

Callen shook his head. "You know what? I give up Artie. You promise and you promise and you still do the drugs. I give up on you! I'm done!" He turned and headed back up the street, pretending to not even notice Maggie standing there with her mouth open as she watched the confrontation between the two men.

Deeks ran a shaky hand over his scruff and watched Callen walk away, knowing he wouldn't go far. He turned and looked at Maggie. "What? You have something to say too?" Maggie quickly shook her head. "No? Then do you know anyone down here who deals meth?" He always used meth as his drug of choice because everyone knew how highly addicting it was from the first use.

Maggie looked at him appraisingly. "How much money do you have?"

Deeks started to scratch at his arms, giving the impression that his skin was crawling. "About thirty bucks. That's all I have left from the last wallet I boosted."

"Boosted? Artie the goody two shoes boosted a wallet?"

Deeks barked out a laugh. "You fell for that act? Coz that's all it is you know. An act. One I put on for those idiots like Chet and Trip."

"You expect me to believe that? You're the one who came up with the idea for the Protectors!"

Deeks laughed again, this time putting a bit of hysteria into it. "Yeah, right! Trip came up with that one all on his own during a conversation we had. He's such a befuddled moron he thought it was my idea and I let everyone believe it. Like I give a flying fuck about anyone down here! Especially the fucking kids that everyone gives money to. They make it harder for everyone else to get a handout."

"So you aren't upset about the kids disappearing?"

"Hell no! I wish the snot nosed little brats would all disappear."

Callen listened to the conversation over comms, his mouth slightly open as he listened to a man he didn't know, speak in a voice he knew well. He knew it was an act but if he hadn't known Deeks, he would be absolutely convinced the man speaking was a selfish son of a bitch. He continued to listen intently.

Maggie asked one more question. "Why are you down here looking to buy? Don't you have a dealer of your own?"

Deeks continued scratching his arms, his scruff and rubbing his hands over his face. "Yeah, well I kinda owe him some money. I give him my last thirty and he'll just take it to put against my debt, leaving me with no money and no fix. Not to mention he'd probably break both my legs for stiffing him on my last buy. He fronted me the drugs, the idiot!"

Maggie was quiet, going over what she had just "learned" about Artie. If he was telling the truth, she could use him. The others, particularly the kids, trusted him. He could be invaluable. She made her decision. "I know someone who could not only give you the drugs you're looking for but, if you're interested, probably has work for you. Provided you're not squeamish that is."

"Squeamish? Hell no, I'm willing to do whatever they want if they're willing to give me what I want."

"Even if it involves kids?"

Deeks laughed, still sounding out of it. "Especially if it's kids! I'd love nothing more than to rid the streets of the squalling little brats!" He put every bit of persuasion he could into the words, begging her to believe him.

"Okay. Let's go."

"Lead on, MacDuff!" Maggie looked at him in confusion and Deeks stifled a sigh that yet another person he knew, had no understanding of Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights that had ever graced the planet. He'd even used the more commonly used misquotation and she still didn't get it. "Let's go Maggie. I need something and I need it sooner rather than later, as in right now! I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin!"

Maggie nodded and turned to lead the way. She stopped in front of an abandoned warehouse on Jackson Street and knocked a tattoo on the side door. A dark haired man with an impressive mustache opened it and she started to simper. "Riley! It's so good to see you, I've missed you! I have a lead on one of the buyer's products." She leaned in and kissed him.

The man kissed her back but Deeks could see that he put no real desire behind it. He realized Maggie was being used. She was obviously in love with a man who had absolutely no real interest in her except for what she could do for him. He started to feel a little sorry for her but then thought of the innocent lives she'd most likely ruined in her besotted state and hardened his heart against her. The man looked at Deeks and pushed Maggie away. "Who the fuck is this?" Before she could answer, he backhanded her and Deeks had to suppress his immediate instinct to leap to her defense. Instead, he stood there with a grin on his face. "You know better than to bring a fucking stranger into this!"

Maggie wiped the blood off her lips and said. "I do know and he isn't a stranger! This is Artie and I've known him for years. He's looking for a job and some meth. He could be helpful to us! He has the trust of the Protectors and most of the kids down here. He's totally got them fooled and is willing to help us do whatever we need. The kids know and love him! He's willing to use his influence to help us, in exchange for money and drugs."

"Really? Well, let's put that to the test. What's your drug of choice Artie?"

Deeks mumbled. "Meth."

"Really? We have some right here, come on in and we can give you some for free, just to be sure that you are who you say." He got into Deeks's face, holding a gun that had appeared from nowhere under his chin and growled out. "But if you aren't, you're a dead man." He knew damn well that undercover cops wouldn't sample the goods as it was too easy to get addicted. Unfortunately for him, he'd never met an undercover like Martin A. Deeks.

Callen listened and felt his stomach tighten. This was so not good. As for Deeks? This wasn't his first undercover as a drug addict and not the first time he'd had to sample the wares to maintain his cover. Luckily for him, he'd become adept at making it seem like he was doing whatever drug he'd been given without actually ingesting more than a miniscule amount. What did worry him was that he had no way right now to convey to Callen that he'd probably be okay. He just had to hope his partner wouldn't come rushing in to "save" him but he couldn't worry about that right now, instead he nodded eagerly and followed Riley and Maggie into the building.

Once they entered, Riley led them to a back room where the drugs were kept. The room was set up like a living room, complete with rug, glass coffee table, a couch and a couple armchairs. In the corner was a desk with a computer and large HD monitor. Not something you would expect, based on the outside façade and it was nicer than Deeks's own living room. Riley went to the desk and opened a drawer. From it he pulled a baggie of meth and put it, a razor blade, a small pipe and a needle on the coffee table. Deeks rushed forward, sat on the couch and prepared it for use. He'd been undercover enough times to know exactly how to prepare most drugs for consumption. He'd decided to prepare it to snort and did so, knowing that injecting it was more dangerous as it was harder to hide the fact that he wasn't actually doing the drugs, his hatred of needles also coloring his decision and he plain just hated to smoke. Once it was ready, he pulled some balled up money out of his pocket. He selected a bill that was less crumpled than the others and rolled it up into a tight cylinder, making a straw he could use to inhale the drug.

He held the straw in his left hand and carefully put his right on the table, as close to the line of meth as he could. He looked up to find Riley watching him closely. He opened his mouth to say something, frowned and looked over the man's shoulder. "What…?" When Riley and Maggie turned to look, he quickly swept all but the tiniest pile of flakes off the table onto the floor and put his foot over it, grinding it into the carpet. He leaned forward and put the cylinder to the table and snorted nothing, having pressed the straw closed between his thumb and forefinger just before his nose, leaving the little pile as residue. The two turned back in time to see what they thought was the last of the meth being sucked up. He leaned back and sighed, letting his undercover persona slowly bliss out, as if the edge from withdrawal was slowly evening out. His hand fell off his knee and opened, letting the rolled up bill fall to the floor. Riley watched and nodded, satisfied that Deeks was what he said he was. A junkie willing to do whatever was needed for his next fix. He reached out and pulled Maggie into his side. "You did good babe! This guy is going to be an asset to us." He reached out and shook Deeks out his blissful stupor.

Callen, and those currently in OPS listened in, their worry about their Liaison palpable. They waited with bated breath for some indication that he was okay. "Damn, that was good shit! Got a couple of friends that would love to sample your wares. You keep getting me stuff this good and I'll do anything you want!"

Riley laughed and said. "You do what I want and you'll have all the meth you can snort and some extra money to boot." He leaned in and grabbed hold of Deeks's coat, all hint of laughter gone, the gun once again pressing into the skin under Deeks's chin, his eyes cold. "If you're a cop or you rat us out in any way to any one, _especially_ those holier than thou Protectors, and I'll make you beg for death. Do you understood me?"

Deeks grinned up at him, pretending to be feeling that false sense of happiness and well-being from the drug he'd just done. "Do I look like a fucking cop? I'm not about to mess up a good thing by telling tales to anyone down here. What they don't know, won't hurt me. I don't give a fuck about any of them anyway. Dude, this is the best thing that's happened to me in a long, long time!" He spoke quickly with the typical overconfidence the drug can induce and leapt up to pace around the room, displaying the hyperactiveness and excess energy the rush can bring on. Using every reaction he'd ever seen an actual meth addict display. He stopped his pacing for a minute, looked at Riley and then laughed. "You know something? You look like an old high school teacher of mine! He had a full head of hair and a mustache almost as good as yours! Name was Granger."

The team relaxed a little as they heard the Deeks they knew come over comms. Those in ops looked over at the follicly challenged Assistant Director and tried to stifle their laughter at the disgruntled look on his face. Deeks was letting them know he was okay while joking a little at the A.D.'s expense.

While he may not be all the way in, he had a foot in the door!

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A/N2 – many thanks to honus47 for the whole Dante reference! She wrote it and I pretty much used it verbatim, all credit goes to her!

A/N3 – for those that may not know, the Shakespeare quote is actually "Lay on, MacDuff". Ah Google, you are a writer's best friend!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N – More bad language.

A/N2 – To my guest French fan, I never thought about what his eyes would look like! I'll address that now, thank you!

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Chapter 14

Deeks continued to pace around the room, being careful to avoid looking either one directly in the eye. He'd only chanced it once, just after he'd just first 'snorted' the meth. There was no way he could fake the dilated pupils that should be full blown by now, and would continue to be so for the next 25-26 hours. Luckily, the other symptoms of someone high on the drug helped him with this and made his pacing seem normal. He also made sure to twitch his eyes, making it even harder for them to catch a look at his pupils.

"So, what do you want me to do? How much will I get paid and when? When can I get more meth?" He asked the questions rapidly in succession, allowing no one to answer any of them.

Riley frowned as he watched the back and forth pacing. It was annoying as hell, almost as annoying as having to pretend to care about the little twit Maggie. But he recognized the signs and felt better about the man. This could definitely work to their advantage, at least for a while. Once people started putting two and two together, the meth head would be a nice sacrificial lamb as the person behind all the disappearances. He grinned at Artie and replied. "We need you to help us get hold of a kid tonight. Our boss has need for her ASAP. Think you can handle that?"

"Sure!" He glanced at Maggie. "Whose territory does she live in?"

"Trinity's." She replied. Deeks wasn't surprised, based on the location of the child Callen had seen and who he'd been pretty sure had been targeted.

"Excellent! The kids around there know me. When do we go?"

"We take them after dark. I usually stop by where they're staying a little earlier in the evening, with a little food laced with tri…tri…" Maggie floundered.

"Triazolam! You've been using it for months. Jesus, how stupid are you?" Riley yelled at her.

Deeks watched as Maggie cringed away from him and he wondered, not for the first time, why someone stayed with a partner who abused them. It was something he'd never understood from the first time he'd seen his dad hit his mom, a fairly common occurrence, and finally realized it wasn't how normal families acted.

"I'm sorry baby! It's just such a mouthful. I'll try to remember the name. Next time I'll do better, I promise!" Maggie's voice was full of fear and pleading. She quickly turned to Artie and said. "Riley gets me the drugs and I crush them up. Sprinkle it on whatever the soup kitchen is offering that night, but only on what I give to the ones watching the kid, never to the target. So far, no one has ever turned me down and not one of them has realized that they slept sounder than normal the night the kid goes missing. The idiots blame themselves for sleeping through it. The kid's the only one who wakes up when we come by and it's easy to talk them into coming with us. I usually tell them that their Protector wants to see them. They're always so eager to meet their 'hero'. One of the things about the Protectors that works in our favor!"

Deeks felt sick to his stomach, hearing that the organization he'd help set up to watch over the people down here, was being used against the very children they were trying to protect. This made him more determined than ever that everyone involved in this was going down. He pushed the anger and revulsion aside, he had work to do. "Sweet! What about kids that are on their own? Doesn't that make it harder to get away? What if someone sees you?" He asked, hoping to get her to tell them everything about this part of the operation. It was all being recorded and would be used as evidence against her when, not if, she went to trial.

"Yeah, they're a little trickier. Usually two of Riley's guys come with me then. One of them, went by the stupid name Penny Lane, gave us a really hard time. Chuck had to hit her over the head and then carry her back here. I followed them, keeping up a steady stream of how awful it was when someone overdoses. There wasn't anyone out and about who really cared anyway."

He was once again tested as he listened to her carelessly talk about hitting a defenseless teenage girl over the head in order to sell her into what was most likely a sex slave ring. Instead he said. "This sounds like something I can get paid for and enjoy at the same time! I remember her, fucking stuck up little bitch laughed at me when I tried to kiss her one time. Wish I could have been there to see her taken down a notch!"

Riley nodded and said. "You'll be the only one with Maggie tonight. The target is only 8 years old, so won't be any trouble. With all the heightened awareness of the adults, we were afraid it was going to be harder to get them away quietly. My guys are starting to get too much attention. But now that you've joined us? No one is going to look at the two of you twice. And if they do? You're both familiar faces. You just need to be sure no one catches you with the kid. Maggie will distract anyone who's out on the streets, you'll keep the kid under control. You bring her here and we'll do the rest."

Deeks head went up and down, indicating his understanding, and he kept it up longer than necessary. Riley thought he looked like one of the old bobble head dogs that people used to put in their car. His lip curled. Junkies were the lowest of the low and this one stunk to high heaven. He couldn't wait for him to leave. He'd have to air the place out for hours to get rid of the stench. Only the fact that he had the trust of pretty much everyone on the Row, kept Artie from being put out of his misery right then and there. "Get out of here, both of you. You know what you need to do."

Maggie went to him and put her face up for a kiss. Deeks could see the revulsion that quickly passed over Riley's face before it carefully went blank. He leaned down and kissed her hard. She turned to leave and Deeks saw him wipe his hand across his lips, trying to remove all trace of her from them. He grinned at Riley, trying to communicate he know how the man felt, and turned to follow Maggie back to the streets. As they walked, he pumped her for more information and got all kinds of names. The woman really wasn't very smart and had no worries about spilling everything she knew to Artie. Names of the people involved who worked for Riley and those of the kids who had been taken. Places and strategy. Maggie had known all of the children and had used that to her advantage. He was surprised that she couldn't feel the rage radiating off him. He asked her another question and a voice sounded in his ear.

"Mr. Deeks! Be careful, please. Do not let your anger override what you know you need to do. Your tone of voice is rapidly becoming out of character."

He reached up and scratched his head, tapping the earwig once to let her know he understood. He took a deep breath and continued his conversation with Maggie in more normal voice for Artie. They split up when they reached Alameda, Artie to head back to his place at Chet's, Maggie to hers with Christy. They agreed to meet at this spot around midnight as they went their separate ways. Maggie would already have delivered the tainted food to the family. She knew the child and that she only had her mother to worry about. He could only hope that Chet had told Christy she had to keep her knowledge about what the woman was doing under wraps, at least until they could get everyone involved. If she spooked Maggie, the whole crew could just vanish and start up somewhere else.

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Deeks trudged into Chet's territory wearily. He knew they were going to have to let the girl be taken and it was killing him. His worry that they wouldn't be able to keep her safe, that they were in effect using her as bait, had him wound up tightly. He spoke to no one as he went, keeping his head down. When he reached his and Callen's shelter, he paused outside, not sure of what to say to his partner. He shook himself and ducked inside.

Callen had been waiting for Deeks to show up. He, along with everyone at ops, had heard everything Deeks had. Knew that he'd either had to do the drugs or trick them into thinking he had. He was worried about which way it had gone, knowing full well just how addictive meth was. He'd seen and heard of too many cops and agents doing drugs for the assignment and ending up addicted, ruining their careers and lives, not knowing how closely he'd come to Chet's assumptions about Artie and now about him. He'd also heard Hetty admonish the detective about his anger taking over and he had a feeling that, this evening, Deeks was not going to be the fun roommate he'd been so far. He also understood why. Everything he'd heard had made him want to join his partner and beat the living daylights of anyone they knew to be even remotely in on this sick scheme. Hetty's words had helped him put a temporary lid on his anger as well. He looked up as the man entered the shelter. His face was tight and he could feel the anger coming off him in waves but he didn't appear to be high.

Standing up, he put a hand on Deeks's shoulder and said. "You did an unbelievable job in there, Artie. It was amazing to hear you talk yourself right into a job with them. How much information you got out of that one meeting. I have to believe you didn't do the drugs. How did you get away with that?"

"Same way I always do. Understanding the symptoms of someone needing a fix, of someone who just had one and then acting the part. A little sleight of hand and they think what I want them to think." His tone was surly.

Callen took a chance and called him by his real name, using Marty instead of Deeks as it was close enough, hoping that it would bring Deeks some comfort. In addition, he hoped it would convey his own understanding of what was going through his head. "Marty, I know it's going to be hard to do the things you need to do tonight. But it will be worth it in the end. We shut all off this down, right up to Rachel Seavers, and these kids won't have to worry anymore."

"And what about the little girl I have to help kidnap tonight? The one we're using as bait to catch these guys? How are we saving her? What if we lose track of her and she's never seen again? How do we live with that?"

Nodding, Callen acknowledged the very real questions and fears Deeks had voiced. He had the same. He thought about it and had an idea. He checked the sky and figured it was time to go eat some dinner. In about three hours they would have their regular check in and he would put his plan into play at that time. "Let's go get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Marty, we need to check in with Chet anyway. Plus, don't you want to see Monty?"

The dog had never entered Deeks's thoughts and he was a little ashamed to think he'd forgotten all about his furry buddy. He sighed and nodded, following Callen out of the shelter to head towards Chet's. He stopped his team lead outside and said softly. "We're going to have to look like we're still angry with each other. While it should be okay to let Chet know what's going on, there's always the possibility that Maggie isn't the only one involved. If it somehow gets back to her that we still seem pretty tight, she might get suspicious. Even if it's just someone innocently saying something in passing, it could have the same effect."

"Agreed. We'll ask Chet for somewhere I can stay as I don't want to be around you anymore. Maybe he'll offer to have me stay with him again. That would give me the opportunity to work out any kinks in our op with him." The two started to walk single file towards the area where they knew they should find the man.

As they got closer to the shelter and more people were around, Callen turned and said loudly. "I don't care Artie! I'm done with your lies and your broken promises. I've tried to be a good friend but enough is enough!" He turned back, planning on continuing up the path they were on.

Deeks reached out and pulled Callen back around to face him. "You think I give a fuck about what you think about my _so called_ broken promises!? I took you in so you wouldn't get your ass handed to you down here and _this_ is the thanks I get?"

Callen shook him off. "I would have been just fine on my own!"

"Like hell!" With that, Deeks released all his pent up anger and frustration as he slugged Callen in the jaw. The agent went down like a rock as he hadn't been expecting it and Deeks hadn't telegraphed a thing about what was about to happen. If it wasn't for the fact that it was _his_ jaw that hurt, he would have been telling the other man he'd done a great job. As it was, he released his own fear and anger and leapt up from the ground to return the favor, feeling satisfaction when he took the other man down. The two of them began to wrestle on the ground, hurling epithets at each other until a stern voice spoke as they were pulled apart.

"Enough! You two will stop this right now or you will leave my territory immediately! Do you understand me?" Both nodded at him, getting up as they nursed various bruises and cuts. "Now, what the hell is this all about?" They both started talking at the same time and Chet held his hand up for silence.

"One at a time! Artie, let's start with you."

"I don't know what the hell his problem is! He's been whining about lies and broken promises but I have no idea what he's talking about!"

Callen turned and started yelling at him again. "No idea? Are you kidding me right now? Did I, or did I not, find you down in the very area you told me to stay away from? Did you not tell me right to my face that you were down there to score, after promising me you'd quit?"

The two started towards each other again but Chet stepped between them. "Inside now! We'll talk about this like civilized people or you are both gone!" He grabbed hold of Artie and pushed him towards the shelter. Callen sullenly followed behind. Once inside, Chet let go of Artie, who immediately began to scratch his dog's ears as the mutt tried to turn himself inside out with the excitement of seeing his human again, and asked. "Ok, what's going on? We don't need this kind of infighting with what we are dealing with right now!"

Deeks and Callen exchanged a look and both started to laugh softly, something that felt good and took a little of the edge off. Chet frowned at them, not amused in the least. Deeks spoke first. "Greg followed Maggie and she figured out that someone was behind her. I was able to get past her one street over and come at her from the direction she was heading. She confronted me about following her and I asked her how I could be when I was coming from the direction _she_ was heading. She was really confused. Then Greg came up to me, pretending not to notice her at all and picked a fight with me over my drug use. We had a screaming match in the street and Greg stormed off. I hit Maggie up for a dealer and she offered me a job. We need to fill you in on the rest of it. We staged the fight outside to add to our ruse, just in case there are any more eyes on us, reporting back to this Riley character." He stopped and swallowed hard. "I'm lined up to help take a little girl tonight. By tomorrow, this could all be over."

"You're lined up to do what? We need to warn that girl and her family right now!" Chet turned to leave and Callen grabbed him.

"Look, I understand how you feel, we both feel the same. But, if you warn her, they'll know it was Artie who let the cat out of the bag and they'll pull up shop. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent someone to kill Artie as well, tie up loose ends and get rid of the snitch."

Chet reluctantly nodded his head, understanding all too well why it needed to go down like this. Damn it, this was why he'd left the 'civilized' world! "I get it. So what do we do now?"

"You're going to allow me to stay with you as I can't stand being around Artie anymore. That will let me coordinate with you and the other Protectors and leave him alone to do what he needs to. None of us are happy about this Chet, but it's the only way."

"I know, I know. It's just…I don't like it. What if they get away with this child? What then?"

"I have a plan for that." Chet frowned at him again. "Just…don't ask any questions." Deeks was frowning at him as well, also not knowing what this 'plan' was. Callen looked at him and nodded. Sighing, the detective knew he was going to have to wait to find out what was plan his partner had in mind until they were alone.

Chet looked at the two of them, again noticing the silent communication, and his eyes narrowed. "Just exactly who are you two?"

"Just two guys who don't want to see to anyone profit from hurting children. Nothing unusual there." Callen replied.

Chet snorted and said. "Like I believe any of that. I get it though, I'll leave it alone…for now."

Callen heaved a sigh of relief and put a hand up to his aching jaw. He turned and glared at Deeks who put his hands up. "Hey, did you really have to hit me so hard?"

Deeks chuckled softly and said. "I didn't hit you that hard, stop being a big baby!" Callen's still aching jaw fell open, never in his life had anyone accused him of being a baby. He stared at his partner who finally had the grace to blush. "Look, I'm sorry I hit you so hard, I really am. I was just so angry…and it's not like you pulled your punches with me any!"

Callen nodded. "Granted. But when this is over?" He pointed his finger at the younger man and then back at himself a couple of time. "You and I? We have an appointment." Deeks blanched a little, knowing exactly what was meant and hoping that all his training with the three agents over the last seven years, would help him to at least hold his own. He also had some street moves he'd never used on them, wanting to learn the proper way from his well-trained teammates and suddenly he smiled a little. He might just have a fighting chance after all. The two turned and filled Chet in on everything that they'd learned that afternoon. The man was beside himself when he heard it all. This had been going on under all their noses and made him feel like he had failed the people who counted on him.

Deeks knew what was going on in his head, having felt the same way for days. He gripped the man's shoulder and said. "Chet, you can't blame yourself for this! They're well-funded and well-organized. There's no way you could have known. Together, we're going to take them all down. I promise you!" The older man nodded absent mindedly and they went back to making plans while eating what Artie had in his pockets and what little Chet had to offer them.

Absent mindedly chewing on a stick of beef jerky, Callen said. "Alright. I think we know what everyone needs to do. I'll go back with Artie to get my things. Chet, can you send runners to the various Protectors and tell them our plans?"

Chet nodded and got up, when Deeks stopped him. "Chet, would it be okay if Monty stays here with you and Rondo? I don't trust these guys and I worry they might try to hurt him, either as a warning to me to do what I'm told or just because they're sadistic bastards. I don't want to have to worry about him."

"Of course he can stay here. Rondo would love the company."

"Thanks! And…be careful, you hear me? You're too important down here, they can't do without you!"

Chet smiled a little and nodded, knowing that none of them would worry about their personal safety if it meant saving a child and stopping this horror.

They exited the shelter, no camaraderie now showing between the two men. Chet said. "Very well then, as you two can't work it out, Greg can stay here with me." He turned to Callen. "Go get your things and come back."

Callen nodded as Deeks said. "I'm going with him, don't trust him not to steal my stuff."

"What stuff? You got nothing worth stealing!"

"I do so!" Deeks headed towards Callen and Chet put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Enough! It's over. The two of you stay away from each other and let it go!" Both men nodded at his words and turned to leave, Deeks in the lead, moving quickly. They were rapidly coming up on their check in time and the 'argument' they'd just had gave them an excuse to move more rapidly than normal. Others who lived around Chet's shelter and had witnessed the earlier fight, watched them go, shaking their heads. Now they understood why Artie was always alone. They still knew which of the two they would side with though, if it came to it. Artie was one of them and had helped to create the Protectors. Greg was a stranger who'd only been accepted so quickly because of their friendship. They would be keeping an eye on him.

Deeks reached their shelter first, Callen on his heels. They sat cross legged, facing each other as normal. Deeks initiated the check in. "Hetty? You there?" He asked softly.

"Yes, Mr. Deeks. Excellent work today, both of you. By the way? I would never have known the two of you weren't fighting for real. I think I heard some words today that I've ever heard before. Judging by the look on her face, I would say that goes double for Miss. Jones." Both men grinned at each other, pleased that they'd surprised their ninja boss, and just a little sorry that they'd freaked out their Velma.

"Now, Mr. Callen. I think I heard you say something about a plan?"

"Yes Hetty. How soon can you get someone down here with some Overwatch spray?"

Deeks's eyebrows shot up as he realized what his partner meant. They were going to tag everyone, including the little girl and would know her location at all times. For the first time, he felt the weight on his shoulders lift a little. He worked with the most skilled people on the face of the planet and these scumbags didn't stand a chance against them.

~.~.~.~


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Deeks and Callen quietly firmed up their plans with those back at OSP. Callen would go back to stay with Chet and bring the man up to speed on said plans. Deeks would meet Kensi at the warehouse to pick up the Overwatch spray. The two men stared at each other when it came time to split up, both thinking that they never would have expected to feel this way about the other. Neither had really wanted to switch partners but circumstances had required it. Over the time they'd been here, the two had seen sides of the other they might never have otherwise had the chance to see. It was surprisingly difficult to go their separate ways.

"You'll be careful, right?" Callen asked.

"Of course. Same for you?"

"Of course. Don't forget that you're not alone, we'll all have your back tonight."

"I know that. I know I can count on all of you, both our people and those down here." Deeks expression changed and his voice was fierce. "We end this! Tonight!"

"Yes, we will." Callen's voice was just as fierce. He put out his hand and Deeks clasped it strongly. Callen pulled him in for a hug. "I'm glad we had this chance to really get to know each other Deeks. You're a good cop and a good man. You can have my back anytime."

Deeks returned the hug and said. "Back at you G." The two men separated and Deeks squared his shoulders. "Let's do this." They left the meager shelter, relieved that there was no one around who might have witnessed their less than acrimonious parting of ways. They nodded at each other and Callen turned to head back to Chet's while Deeks headed for the warehouse. A few steps away, Callen turned back to find Deeks had done the same. They smiled at each other and both knew their relationship would only be stronger, the team stronger, when this was over and they were back at the Mission.

When Callen reached Chet's shelter, he found the man pacing just outside. As soon as he reached his side, he said. "Let's go inside, we need to talk."

Chet nodded and preceded him into the shelter. As soon as Callen followed, Chet turned to him. "I don't like this! I don't like this at all."

"I understand, but can you think of another way to end this?"

Chet started pacing again. "We could report this to the cops."

"They'd disappear like smoke. I have it on good authority that the woman running this ring has friends high up in LAPD."

Chet narrowed his eyes at Callen. "Just how exactly would you know something like that? Who are you?"

Callen tilted his head at him. He couldn't tell him who he was without blowing Deeks's cover and he'd come to know that this was important to his friend. It might become necessary but for now, he'd protect Artie. "I'm just someone who wants to see this injustice stopped. You'll just have to trust me when I say that this is the only way."

Chet sighed. He wasn't sure who this man was or what his relationship with Artie was really about but he found that he did trust him. It didn't mean he had to be happy about it. He sat down heavily. "Okay, tell me what your plan is."

Callen sat down across from him and was quiet for a minute, trying to find a way to let him know the plan without giving away too much. "Artie is going to go through with the kidnapping. He'll take the girl to Riley and talk his way into staying with them as they hand the child off. We'll be right on their heels and take them all down when they're together."

"And do what with them? We aren't cops and we aren't vigilantes! I won't allow my people to become murderers!"

Callen held his hand up to stop the tirade. "Artie and I wouldn't allow that either. Look, Artie has friends outside the row who know people in a couple of federal agencies. That's how he knew about the woman running the ring. He's on his way to talk to them now. Kidnapping and child trafficking are federal offences and this way we can avoid involving any cops who might turn out to be on this woman's payroll. He's going to make sure that there are federal agents on the scene when it goes down, agents who can be trusted." He held up his hand again to stop the questions that Chet obviously had. "No, we can't get them down here to work on this now, as this place is just too big and too populated plus we just don't have the time. We know a child is being taken tonight. It would take too long for any agents to infiltrate the ring. If they just came down here to stop it, they'd stick out like sore thumbs and these people would be gone before they had a chance to round them up. Too many people down here don't trust the authorities and even the ones who aren't involved wouldn't believe anything they said. They'd just see it as another attempt to spread propaganda that homeless people are thieves and crooks, people not to be trusted. You know that."

Chet had listened in disbelief. Artie had friends in federal agencies? He wondered if he should try to reach out to anyone he used to know. Then he shook his head, it had been too long and anyone he'd known twenty years ago would be of no help now. He asked the question that was uppermost in his mind. "How do we keep the child safe?"

"Artie will protect her. It's what he does."

"He's only one man! He might not be able to talk his way into staying with her and we could lose her!"

Callen smiled. "Have you ever known Artie to not be able to talk his way into, or out of, anything when he's really determined to do so? Look at what he did down here! I know there's no way Trip came up with the idea of the Protectors and convinced so many people to go along with it. He talked you into it, didn't he?"

Chet nodded, knowing the junkie could be downright charismatic at times. Still, Greg hadn't addressed his concerns for the child. "What about the girl?"

"You'll have to trust me on this. We won't lose track of her, even if it seems like we might have."

Chet sighed in frustration. He knew that was about as much as he was going to get out of the man sitting across from him. He exuded confidence that this plan would work but there were too many holes in his story to make him comfortable with what was going to happen that night. He could only keep on his toes and make sure that he had as many trusted people with them as he could. "Okay, I'll go along with this but when this is over, you, me and Artie need to have a long talk."

Callen nodded and the two began to put together their plans for following Artie and the child without tipping off the people involved.

~,~,~,~

Deeks shuffled into the warehouse, finding Kensi already there and waiting for him. He straightened up and drank her in. The two stared at each other for a few seconds and then she moved. She pulled in him for a fierce hug despite the stench. He put his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. "What if I can't keep her safe Kens?" He mumbled. Her arms tightened around him.

"We'll all be there baby. Sam, Franklin and Granger are just a few who will have our backs. Every agent at NCIS has volunteered. They all want to be a part of bringing these people down. Hetty, Eric and Nell will be up in ops, coordinating everything. We won't let them get away from us and we'll put everyone away for a very long time."

He lifted his head and stared into her eyes, seeing confidence and love reflected there. "Thanks. Thanks for always being there."

She smiled at him and moved out of his arms, turning to open the passenger door of the Audi. She pulled out a case and moved to put it on the table Deeks had used when this case has started. She opened it and took a small canister. Turning to him, she lifted his hair gently and sprayed his neck. At his curious look she said. "Just to be safe, in case something happens to your GPS." She turned on her earwig and Deeks followed suit. "Eric? I've just sprayed Deeks with Overwatch."

The tech replied instantly. "Ok Kensi." They heard tapping. "Done! I've got him tagged."

Deeks smiled. "Hey Eric? Thanks man!"

"Hey Deeks, you're welcome."

"Mr. Deeks?" Hetty now sounded over comms.

"Yes?"

"I'm counting on you to stay safe tonight." Deeks smiled at the command in her voice.

"I will Hetty."

"See that you do! Now, Miss. Blye will instruct you in the use of the delivery system we've devised for you. It wouldn't do for you to be running around spraying people."

Deeks raised his eyebrow at Kensi who grinned in return. She pulled a pair of thick, dirty fingerless gloves from the case, clear plastic tubing trailing from the opening of the right one and held them up. "Eric came up with these! We'll strap the container of spray to your arm and connect it to this tubing. Inside the right glove is a button you can push to release the spray through this small reinforced opening in the palm." She showed him the small hole in the palm where he could just make out the end of the plastic tubing. He held his hand out and she handed them to him. He gently palpitated the right glove and felt the tubing along with a small round object. Kensi continued. "You shake someone's hand or touch them, making sure that the button comes in contact with them and the button depresses, releasing a small amount of Overwatch onto them through the tube. You can also press the button yourself. Eric will be monitoring through your button cam and he'll tag each person so we can follow them using a satellite that's already in place and the software."

Deeks shook his head. His techie friend really was something else. He smiled and said. "This is really ingenious Eric!"

"Nell helped." The voice said in his ear.

"Well then, thank Nell as well."

"I'm here Shaggy!"

"Hey Velma! You and your partner in crime have totally outdone yourselves. I can't thank you enough!"

There was silence for a moment and then her voice came over the comms softly. "You can thank us in person when you come home."

"I will."

"I'm going to hold you to that. You stay safe, do you hear me?"

"I'll do my best."

Kensi stared at him, knowing he would do everything he could to be safe and come back to her but she also knew that he wouldn't allow harm to come to anyone else, especially a child, if it was in his power to stop it, no matter the cost to himself. She shivered and then pushed the thoughts out of her head. He needed her to be on top of her game, not worrying about him. She reached out and took the gloves back and put them back on the table. "Take off Artie." She put every bit of disgust over that coat that she could into her voice.

Deeks grinned and complied. She pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and began to strap the small container to his forearm. Once that was done, she attached the tubing from the glove to the end and pulled the sleeve back down, making sure that the thin tubing ran along the back of his hand. "Is that okay?" He flexed his arm and nodded that it was. He carefully put the right glove on, making sure that he didn't disconnect the tubing from the hole in the glove and that the tubing ran between his ring and third finger and into his palm. That way it wouldn't be easily felt if he shook someone's hand. He then adjusted it a little to make sure that the button was properly in place. "Don't worry, Eric made sure it was firmly attached. You'd really have to work to disconnect it. Now, you can put… _that_ _thing_ back on."

He carefully put Artie back on and gently adjusted the glove. She handed him the left one and helped him pull it on so that he wouldn't dislodge anything in the right one. "Test it." She held out her hand and he took it, feeling the pressure against the button but nothing else. "Eric?" She asked.

"Got you!"

"That's great and I didn't feel anything weird even though I knew it was there. I don't think anyone is going to notice a thing! Good job!"

"Great!" Eric responded. "Then we're ready to go?"

Deeks smiled. "Yeah, Eric, we're ready. I'll head back to the row and try to get some sleep. I'm supposed to meet Maggie around 11:30 on Winston. I'll tag her immediately."

"Sounds good. Be careful."

"Will do." The constant requests to be safe was making him nervous. He looked at Kensi who smiled encouragingly at him. He reached up and turned off the earwig. She frowned a little but did the same, knowing everyone in ops would have something to say about this when they turned them back on. She waited for him to tell her what he obviously wanted to in private. "June." He finally said.

She blinked, confused. "June? What about it?"

"Seems like it might be a good month for a wedding, don't you? Not too hot yet but still warm enough for a beach wedding."

She swallowed hard and then smiled hugely. They were going to do this. "It might be a good month."

"First Saturday?"

"That would work."

"Kensi Marie Blye, will you marry me on the first Saturday of June next year?"

"Yes, I think I will!" She leaned in and kissed him hard. He returned the kiss, feeling lighter somehow. When they pulled apart, she whispered. "You need to go but know I'll be waiting for you. We have a wedding date!"

He grinned and kissed her again. Reaching up he turned the earwig back on at the same time she did.

"Kensi? Deeks?"

"We're here Eric." Deeks replied.

"What the heck was that? We agreed you'd keep your comms on at all times from here on."

"I know Eric. I just needed a private moment with my girl. By the way? Keep the first Saturday of June open, will you?"

"You guys finally set a date?"

"We did."

A chorus of congratulations came over the comms as Kensi and Deeks grinned foolishly at each other. After another, somewhat more subdued kiss as their comms were still active, Deeks took his leave. Kensi watched him go and sighed. She needed to call her mom and tell her they'd finally set a date and then immediately thought about everything she needed to do to be ready. Nell had already agreed to be her maid of honor and she planned to ask Callen to walk her down the aisle. She wasn't sure if Deeks was going to ask Sam or Eric to be his best man, she was pretty sure he didn't know, not wanting to hurt either of their feelings. Oh lord, the more she thought about it, the more things that popped into her head. She shook it off, there would be time enough for that. Right now, they had things to do. She got into the car and headed back to the Mission, a smile plastered on her face as she remembered what Deeks had looked like in his tux at Paula and Cassie's wedding. He'd been so handsome. She sighed dreamily and was back at OSP without remembering much of the drive.

~,~,~,~

Deeks had tried to catch some sleep, knowing the night ahead of him was going to be long. Unfortunately, he was too wired to do so. His thoughts ping ponged between going over their plans for the coming op and realizing he'd done it, he'd picked a date and she'd agreed to it. They really were getting married. When the time finally came to go meet Maggie, he felt relief. For better or worse, this was going to be over tonight. He quietly let everyone know he was heading out and heard the comforting sound of his current partner, stating that they would be right behind him. He made his way down to Winston, watching for a sight of Callen but never saw a sign of him or anyone else. It was quiet with very few people out and about, something he was glad of as he didn't want some Good Samaritan getting into the middle of this. When he saw Maggie waiting for him at the corner of Winston and South Main, he approached her.

"Maggie." He kept the revulsion he felt from his voice.

"Oh Artie, there you are. Are you ready?"

"Sure am."

He held out his hand and she looked at it for a moment and then shook it. He felt the pressure on the button and heard Eric over his comms. "Got her. She's tagged."

"You sure the parents won't be an issue?" He asked.

"Yup! It's only her mother and I got the drugs into her. She should be well and truly asleep by now. With you helping, this is going to be one of the easiest snatches I've done so far."

"Good to hear. How do you want to play this?" He knew Eric was recording everything and wanted Maggie to incriminate herself as much as possible. He still had friends in the prosecutor's office and would be making some calls when this was over. He would make sure that everyone involved in this was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, with no deals made.

Maggie smiled at him, having no idea of what was going on in his head. "They squat in a building over on South Central. You go in and wake up the kid. Her name is Beth. Tell her that you need her help finding your dog. Kids love dogs. Bring her out and give her this." She handed him a lollipop. "I've coated it with a little of the same drug I dosed her mother with. Not enough to knock her out but enough to make her sleepy and compliant."

Deeks took the candy and put it in his pocket. He had no intention of drugging a child. Keeping his voice even, he said. "That's pretty well thought out. You've done this before."

"Yup. Used the dog ruse with a couple of the smaller kids. They're easy to fool and so trusting." She looked proud of herself.

Deeks nodded pleasantly while inside he seethed at how blasé she was about this. She was taking a child away from her mother to be sold into what amounted to slavery, a sexual plaything for a man with too much money who was obviously a pedophile. He felt his hackles rise and he fought an inner battle against a sudden desire to just flatten her right here and now. He hadn't hit a woman, even as Max, but he would gladly overcome his aversion to that, for her. He won the battle and asked. "You ready to head out then?"

She nodded and turned, leading the way down Winston to San Pedro. She took a left on San Pedro and then a right on East Fourth. When they reached South Central she took a left and walked past East Third. Halfway to East Second, she stopped in front of what looked to have been an old hotel, many of the windows broken and the front door hanging by one hinge. "They're in there. They squat on the first floor, third room on the right."

"Pretty specific directions."

"I do my homework. Riley gets the information on who to take and I use my position as a trusted member of Christy's stupid group to find out exactly who the target is and where he or she lives. They never suspect a thing." Again her pride in what she was doing showing on her face and in her voice.

Deeks heard a growl over his comms and wondered who it was. When he heard Nell's voice softly whisper "Bitch!" he had to control his desire to respond. He reached up and tapped his earwig once, letting Nell know he agreed with her. "Okay, so I go in, wake the kid up, bring her out here and give her the candy. Then what?"

"Then we take her to Riley. What happens after that, I have no idea nor do I care."

"You never go with them when they take the kid away? You don't know where they take them?"

She frowned at him, wondering why he was so interested. "No, why would I?"

Deeks backpedalled at little. "No reason. Just glad to know I won't have to deal with the sniveling brat for any longer than I absolutely have to." Her frown smoothed out and she nodded towards the building. He took a deep breath and moved inside. It was quiet although he could hear some voices from down the hall. Few of the rooms still had doors on them and he found the one he was looking for. He went in quietly and saw the woman sleeping on the floor, a thin blanket over her. Beside her heavily sleeping form lay the child he was here for. Looking at the angelic face of the sleeping child, a child he recognized, he almost aborted the mission. He hesitated and then heard Hetty in his ear.

"I know this is hard Mr. Deeks and I would never ask you to do this if it wasn't for the greater good. If you don't do this, someone else will and we won't have anything in place to keep her safe. Can you do this?"

He took a moment and then whispered. "Yes."

Reaching down, he shook the little girl gently. She woke up slowly and looked up at him. "Artie?"

"Shhh. Hi Beth. Can you help me? I can't find Monty and I know how much he likes you. I think maybe he'll come home if you're with me."

"Sure! Can mommy help?"

"No honey, I have Maggie helping me and too many people might scare him. Let's let mommy sleep and then you can tell her how you helped me when you get back." He held out his hand to her.

"Okay." The little girl threw the blanket off and stood up, putting her hand trustingly in his. He swallowed the bile that threatened to rise up his throat and was glad to hear Eric again.

"We got her tagged Marty. We'll keep her safe."

Deeks knew how much this was upsetting the technical analyst when Eric used his first name. He turned and led Beth out of the house and away from her mother. Outside the room, he pulled a different lollipop out of his pocket, one that was undrugged. He ripped the wrapper off and stuffed it back in his pocket. He handed it to her and she happily put it in her mouth. Now Maggie wouldn't know he'd switched them.

When they reached the outside, Maggie leaned down to the child. "Beth, thank you so much for helping us! I know Monty will be so happy to see you!" Deeks felt the bile rise in his throat again as he heard her use his dog's name to entice the child. The child smiled up at her, recognizing Maggie as someone she knew and trusted. They turned and made their way quietly down the street towards Hell's Gate. He hoped Maggie wouldn't notice that the child was not as sleepy as she should have been if she'd been given the drug. When the child started to flag, he quickly picked her up in his arms and she snuggled into him, not appearing to mind the smell at all.

They didn't speak as they walked, Maggie keeping an eye out for anyone that might notice them. Luckily, there was no one about. That changed when they entered the forbidden zone. Rough looking men and women eyed them as they passed by. No one bothered them as they knew that Maggie was working for Riley and none of them wanted to get on that man's bad side. Those that did, tended to disappear. Several followed them with their eyes, not so far gone that they didn't feel something about the small child in the man's arms but far enough gone to not interfere.

When they reached Riley's headquarters, Maggie knocked and the door was opened quickly by the man himself. He smiled at the sight of the sleeping child in Deeks's arms, pleased that the man had come through for him. He waved them in and closed the door behind them. "Put her on the couch." Deeks gently laid her down, careful not to wake her as she might be frightened at where they were and he had no doubt that Riley would have no qualms about forcing drugs into her. The child whimpered a little but then snuggled into the comfortable cushions, probably the softest thing she'd slept on in quite a while.

Deeks stood up and walked over to the desk behind which Riley now sat. The man opened one of the drawers and pulled out some money and a small bag of meth. He handed Maggie her payment and put up with her leaning over to kiss him. He then turned to Deeks and shoved the rest of the money, along with the drugs towards him. Deeks quickly picked them up and shoved them into his pocket. He held out his hand to Riley and said. "Pleasure doing business with you. Hope we can make this a steady thing?" The man looked at the outstretched hand and Deeks feared that he would refuse to shake it. He wondered how he would get Overwatch on him if he didn't shake. He was relieved when the man finally took it and gave it a short shake. Eric spoke in his ear, assuring him that Riley was now bagged and tagged.

Riley looked at Maggie and made a decision. He really wouldn't need both of them on his payroll and this was his opportunity to get rid of the silly little twit. "You can go now Maggie, I need to speak with Artie."

The look of disappointment on her face was almost comical. She opened her mouth to refuse but then thought the better of it, remembering the slap from the day before. She looked at Deeks as she left and he just nodded at her. When she was gone, he turned back to Riley. "What's up boss?" The words almost stuck in his throat.

Riley sat back and looked at him consideringly. "I think you're going to work out nicely Artie. It may be time to get rid of Maggie. She's becoming too clingy, something I'm sure I won't have to deal with from you."

"No sir."

Riley nodded. "You can leave now."

"Is there anything else I can do? The child trusts me and I can help keep her calm until you get her to wherever it is she's going."

"I have plenty of men to do that."

"But _how_ will they do that? You don't want to deliver damaged merchandise."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I think this is a very lucrative business and I want to help. The kids all know and trust me, even more so than Maggie. Plus, I can move throughout the territories without any question as they think I'm some kind of do-gooder. Maggie is one of Christy's people and some might wonder why she's constantly not where she should be." He looked at Riley slyly. "Of course, my help wouldn't be free of charge."

This Riley understood. He'd give the man a shot and see how the transfer went. If it worked out, the man might just become an invaluable member of his group. If he didn't, well, no one would be surprised if a junkie died of an overdose. He stood up and looked over at the still sleeping child. "Alright. We'll do a trial run tonight. My contact is waiting for the brat. We leave now."

Deeks nodded and went over to the couch. He carefully picked the child up but still she awoke. "Artie?"

"Hi sweetie."

She looked around, still not worried about where they were because Artie was there. "Did we find Monty?"

"Yes, thanks to you! He showed up while you were sleeping and Maggie has him outside now. Why don't you go back to sleep and I'll wake you when I get you home?"

"Okay." She snuggled back into him and was asleep again in moments. He turned with the child in his arms and knew he'd earned Riley's approval. He wondered how this kind of situation had been dealt with in the past and felt his stomach cramp up a little. He had no doubt the man in front of him wouldn't hesitate to hurt a child. When Riley turned and made his way out of the room, Deeks followed, silently praying that things worked out as they should and no harm would come to Beth.

As they moved through the quiet night, he started to worry about their direction. He knew that those in ops were worried as well when he heard Eric say. "Crap! He's heading towards the Los Angeles River!" If they took Beth by boat somewhere, the agents on the ground wouldn't be able to follow and she could come to harm even if they knew where she was until they could get her back.

He heard Hetty speak to Nell. "Get the Coast Guard on the phone please Miss. Jones. If they intend to take her away by boat, I want several of our own on site. They are not to be allowed to get away with that child!"

"On it."

Deeks followed the conversation, his worry ramping up. He knew there was no way he was going to allow Beth on any boat they may have waiting for them. He just couldn't take that chance. He continued to trail Riley, making plans on how to keep the innocent child in his arms safe.

~,~,~,~

A/N – Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. I was working on another story and just couldn't keep up with both. The other was an attempt to speculate on season 8's opening so I was concentrating on that. Add in RL being insistent that I pay attention and suddenly two months had gone bye!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The longer they walked, the more convinced Deeks was that they were heading towards the river where Beth would be handed over to someone on a waiting boat. He wondered how high the water level was. Sometimes it was so dry, there was just a trickle down the middle. He usually didn't pay much attention to it and had no idea what state it was in at the moment. He couldn't imagine letting that happen and his arms tightened around the little girl. She wiggled a little in her sleep and he loosened his hold, knowing that her waking up right now could be dangerous, for both of them. He slowed a little more, looking around, anxiously evaluating each side street and alleyway they passed, searching for one that he could just disappear down, taking the child away from the waiting handoff. Adding mind reading to the list of ninja like skills he swore she possessed, Hetty's voice sounded in his ear.

"The Coast Guard has been contacted, Mr. Deeks. We have it on good authority that, due to the drought, the water level is too low in that area to allow a boat to come into play. There's little to no water. They are on standby regardless."

He nodded, feeling marginally relieved. Still, that meant he really had no idea where they were heading. He realized Riley had stopped and was waiting impatiently for him to catch up, a frown on his face. He pushed his worries aside, putting his faith in his team and picked up the pace. Reaching Riley, he said. "Sorry, this is a longer walk than I was expecting." Giving a grunt as a response, the man turned and starting walking again. "Hey, boss?"

"What Artie?" The tone was less than friendly.

"Where are we headin'?"

Riley stopped again and turned, glaring at him. "Why do you care? Just do what you're told and shut up about it or this little partnership is over before it even begins, do I make myself clear?"

"Sure, sure! Sorry, just making conversation."

"Well, don't!" The man started walking again, anger in his posture and Deeks decided keeping his mouth shut and his eyes open was his best option. From what he'd seen of the man, Riley had little patience and no compassion. He wouldn't hesitate to hurt anyone who got in his way. Quietly he followed in his wake. When they finally reached the Fourth Street viaduct, Riley turned and made his way through an almost invisible opening in the fence, heading down the concrete embankment towards the river. Deeks was confused, there was no way they could take her out by boat if the river was dry and there was no road down there. Riley appeared to know exactly where he was going which lead Deeks to believe this was a fairly common occurrence. He carefully followed, worried that he might slip on the steep embankment and fall, hurting Beth in the process. He heaved a sigh of relief when he reached the bottom where Riley was waiting impatiently.

He looked around, trying to make out anything in the dark, idly wondering what this must have looked like when it was a natural river and not the concrete depression that now surrounded them. Like most Los Angeleans, he knew the story behind the river and the constant flooding almost a century ago. How the natural river had been replaced by encasing the river's bed and banks in concrete in an effort to control it. A flickering of headlights interrupted his reverie and caught both men's attention. Riley immediately headed towards them. As they approached, the passenger door opened and the interior light gave enough illumination for Deeks to see they were approaching a dark colored cargo van. He recognized the man who stepped out. He knew this was it, this was when he would need to hand over the sleeping child. Riley followed Dimitri as he rounded the back of the van and Deeks trailed them.

"Put her in there." Dimitri said in heavily accented English, indicating the back of the van. He looked inside and hesitated.

Riley rounded on him. "What the hell are you waiting for? Just hand her over and we're done here!"

Hetty's voice was again in his ear. "Mr. Deeks, do as he says. We need to follow them to their destination in order to incriminate Seavers and it's our best chance to find any other children she may still have in her possession. Mr. Hanna and Miss. Blye are in the area and will follow the van. Mr. Callen, along with Chet and several of his men have been trailing you from the beginning and have you in sight. AD Granger and Mr. Franklin are there as well and will meet up with all of you after the van leaves the area."

Swallowing hard, he moved to the open doors and went to place Beth on the dirty carpet that lined the bed. As he put her down, she chose then to wake up. "Artie? Where are we?"

"Shh, don't worry Beth. You're just going to take a little ride." He whispered to her, his voice breaking.

"Aren't you coming with me?" He couldn't believe she still trusted him.

"No, sweetie, I'm not but I'll see you soon." He hoped with all his heart that that was the truth.

"I don't want to go! I want my mommy!" Beth's face scrunched up as she began to cry.

"Shut her up or I will!" Dimitri growled, raising his hand to slap her. Deeks caught the man's hand as it moved towards Beth and held onto his temper by a shred. He felt the button in his glove depress and heard Eric announce over comms that the man was tagged.

"You don't want to damage the merchandise." He ground out as Beth started to wail behind him. She was finally realizing something was wrong and she was scared. "I can keep her calm and unmarked but I'll have to come with you."

Behind them, Riley narrowed his eyes at their exchange as he became suspicious. "And just why do you want to go with her, Artie? You planning on making a deal of your own and cutting me out of this? Is that what was up with all the questions?"

Deeks blinked a couple times, the thought had never even crossed his mind but was indicative of the kind of man Riley was. He wondered if he could use this to his advantage. "Well, one can never turn down a business opportunity when it's presented, can one?" He quirked an eyebrow at Dimitri who smiled a little. None of them liked working with the other man. He was a loose cannon and Ms. Seavers had recently complained that the costs were going up, grousing that Riley was getting greedy. Maybe this new guy would be easier to work with. If his boss didn't want to change the current arrangements, well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to dispose of a body. He nodded slowly and Deeks grinned at him, exposing his rotted teeth. Dimitri grimaced and wondered if this was such a good idea after all, it was pretty obvious this guy was some kind of junkie.

Not giving him a chance to change his mind, Deeks moved to get into the van. He never saw Riley heading his way, never saw the knife in his hand until it plunged into his side. He grunted and fell the rest of the way inside. He flipped over to see Dimitri bring his gun down on Riley's head, knocking him out cold. The two stared at each other for a moment and then Dimitri's eyes went to where the knife still protruded from Deeks's side. "How bad?"

Knowing that his team was listening and would swarm them in a heartbeat if they thought he was hurt, possibly putting Beth in harm's way, Deeks forced out a laugh and pulled the knife out. "He missed me! Knife got caught up in the coat." He heard a sigh of relief come over comms even as he felt the warm trickle of blood run down his side. They were not going to be happy with him when they found out the truth, but he wanted to follow this through. He wanted to be there when Seavers and the rest were taken down. He _needed_ to be there. Dimitri nodded and shut the door behind him and the weeping child. He heard the passenger door slam and the van began to move, leaving Riley laying in the viaduct behind them.

He pulled Beth into his arms, cushioning her against the hard floor as best he could and tried to calm her. "Shhh honey, we're okay! This is just a little adventure and then you'll be home with mommy, telling her all about it!" He rocked her back and forth until the sobbing finally stopped and was replaced by sniffling hiccups. Eventually, she fell asleep again, exhausted. Leaning back against the wall, he lost track of time as the van made its way to their final destination.

~,~,~,~

Callen, Chet, Trip and Dodger had followed Deeks and Riley as they made their way towards the rendezvous with Seavers's people. More had wanted to come but a large group would be too easily noticed. Several others had agreed to keep tabs on Maggie, angry that one of their own was involved in this. They'd been warned not to let her know that they were onto her until this was over. No one wanted to take a chance that she could somehow warn Riley.

As his group had followed at a safe distance, Callen had been hard pressed to stop his companions from running down the two men on several occasions, especially the further they got from the Row and familiar surroundings, warning them that doing so could put the child at risk. When they had disappeared down into the viaduct, he had been hard pressed to stop himself. He knew Sam and the others were close and that ops was following their every move but he couldn't shake the bad feeling that had cropped up when Deeks had gone through the opening in the fence with Beth in his arms and vanished. They had crept up to the opening and silently gone through it one at a time, stopping at the top of the embankment in the shadows to watch what went down. They couldn't get much closer without giving their presence away. They had to trust that Deeks would protect Beth.

Callen's gut had tensed when the van had made itself known and only Sam's calm voice over comms had stopped him from scrabbling down the embankment to Deeks's side, reminding him that they were on scene and there was no way they were going to lose that van. Through Deeks's comms, he could hear the conversation and knew that Beth's wailing cries were going to be a problem. He heard Deeks's offer to go with them to keep her calm and Riley's response. He had to grin when he heard his partner turn it to his advantage. When he saw Riley rush Deeks he immediately, and without thinking, reached for his nonexistent gun to come to the aid of his partner. Chet had seen the move and knew it for what it was. He put his hand on the younger man's arm to stop his forward movement. There was nothing they could do, they were too far away and would never reach them in time to stop him. There was still Beth to think about. Callen glared at the old man and opened his mouth to berate him when heard Deeks grunt in his ear. He turned back in time to see the detective fall into the back of the vehicle and his heart stopped for a minute.

"What's happening?" Whispered Dodger. He had a hand on Trip, stopping him from following his instinct to race to his friend's aid.

"Shhh." Callen replied, listening with his heart in his throat. He saw Dimitri club Riley. Watched the man crumple to the ground and then be ignored. When he heard Deeks say the knife had missed, having gotten caught in his coat, he found himself thanking Artie under his breath. He was seriously going to need therapy when this op was over. The van started up and began to move slowly away, leaving Riley laying on the ground behind it. He looked at the others with him and saw fear on their faces. He pointed up river and they all turned to watch a dark vehicle head their way. He watched as the black Challenger ghosted past their location, following a safe distance behind the van. He would swear he saw a hand wave at him but couldn't be sure in the dark.

Over comms, he heard Eric. "Sam and Kensi are following Deeks and the van. We have a strong signal on Deeks, Beth and the guy he tagged. They won't get away. Granger and Franklin should be with you in a couple minutes to take Riley into custody." Callen surreptitiously reached up and tapped his earwig once, signaling he understood.

Turning to the men with him, he said. "Let's go make sure Riley doesn't get away." He turned and made his way down the embankment, the others quietly following him. When they reached the bottom, he cautiously made his way to the crumpled figure, not sure what other weapons he might have on him. Leaning over, he placed two fingers against the man's neck. Feeling a strong pulse and getting a moan in response to his touch, he straightened and pulled two pieces of rope he'd stuffed in his pocket before they'd left. He handed one to Trip, knowing the man needed to feel like he was doing something, and motioned to the man's legs. "Tie his legs and I'll do his hands. We need to get him immobilized before he comes to all the way." The two quickly and efficiently trussed up the man who was now showing signs of waking up. Once done, they moved a little away from him and regrouped with Chet and Dodger.

"What are we going to do now? Yeah, we have Riley tied up but what do we do with him? And how do we get Artie and Beth away from those men? Who was that following them? Can we trust them?" Dodger's voice rose as panic set in. This was not the way he thought this was going to go down.

"Take it easy Dodger, help's on the way."

"Help? What kind of help? We're out in the middle of nowhere!"

Callen opened his mouth to reply when he heard the sound of an engine and turned to see two dark grey sedans without lights heading their way. "It appears the cavalry has arrived." The cars pulled up to them and the driver's doors opened, spilling Granger and Franklin out into the viaduct. Both men hurried up to them.

Granger was the first to reach them and pulled out his badge. "Federal agents, NCIS. Are you all okay?" He'd been listening on comms and knew everyone was fine but would keep Callen's cover as long as possible.

Playing along, Callen reached out his hand and Granger shook it. "Name's Greg. This here's Chet, Trip and Dodger. The man over there is the one you're looking for, name of Riley. That's all we know about him. He's the one who's been working with that woman to take children out of the row. One of our guys is with the people who met him and took the child. I think they're both okay but we're worried about them."

"Assistant Director Granger, this is Special Agent Franklin. We have agents following the van."

Trip looked at the both of them suspiciously. "How did federal agents get involved in this?"

Granger looked at him consideringly. "Someone by the name of Artie contacted one of our agents who used to be a cop. Apparently they've known each other for a long time. The agent arrested Artie several times for drug possession during his stint with LAPD, but he still trusted what he was told and got us on board. Artie let him know this was going down tonight and we followed the lot of you down here. We have two of our best agents tailing that van and others will be joining them. Don't worry, we have no intention of letting either Artie or the little girl come to harm. What we do intend is that this ring gets shut down tonight. We'll also do everything in our power to find any children taken previously and return them to their parents."

"Even if it means returning to them to the streets?" Chet asked quietly.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to do that, Granger replied. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure both children and parents are given the best chances to stay together."

Chet sighed, knowing that there really wasn't much he could do. Life on the streets wasn't easy and protecting the children's best interests would not involve them living in a tent or squatting in an abandoned building. He had a bad feeling that they would need professional help overcoming their experiences. Help that they just wouldn't be able to get down here. He had to put his trust in this man and his agency. He knew from experience that most agents were good men who only wanted to help people and keep them and this country safe. He straightened and asked. "What else can we do?"

"You've done enough for now. You need to let us handle this."

"Like hell!" Trip exploded. "These are our people and we watch out for our own. You can go on your merry way if you want but we, none of us, will just walk away without doing everything in our power to help. If you don't help us, we'll find our own way." He turned to head the direction the van had traveled, fully intending to tail them on foot.

Callen put his hand on Trip's arm to stop him and then turned to Granger. "Surely there's some way for us to be there? To help in any way we can? Artie's our friend and we're not going to just go sit somewhere quietly when he's in danger!"

Granger looked at his agent in frustration. He was not helping the situation. He should be doing everything in his power to make sure the civilians didn't get involved any further than they already had. He opened his mouth to simply tell them no, when he took a moment to really look at the men in front of him. These were proud men who were more than capable of taking care of themselves. He'd seen and heard enough about them during the lengthy op to know that and finally decided that, if he couldn't keep them out of it, he could at least keep them safe by keeping them under his watchful eye. He nodded reluctantly. He turned to Franklin just as the man on the ground fully came to.

"What the fuck is going on? Untie me right now or I'll make you regret it! You won't live to see another day! Who the hell do you think you are?" Riley sputtered from his position on the damp concrete.

Franklin walked up to him and pulled his badge out, shoving it in the man's face. "What's going on is that you're under arrest for child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. As to who we are? We're the federal agents from NCIS that are going to make it our life's work to be sure that you never get to see the light of day again. Any questions?" His words were low and venomous. Like most bullies, Riley immediately backed down.

"I'm hurt! I need a doctor! You have to get me treatment or I'll sue you for brutality!"

Franklin pulled him roughly to his feet. "Oh, you'll get medical care all right. We want to be sure you're healthy enough to face trial and spend the rest of your, hopefully long, life behind bars. Somewhere where the other inmates don't take kindly to those that harm children." He turned to look at Granger who nodded.

"Please take our guest to the boatshed and make sure he gets medical help. Once you drop him off, feel free to rejoin us. Beale will keep you up to date on our whereabouts." Franklin nodded his agreement, relieved he wouldn't be on babysitting duty and could rejoin the team to help Deeks and make sure no harm came to the child. He undid the ropes on Riley's feet and pushed the man ahead of him until he hit the hood of the car, bending him over it. With Granger keeping his gun aimed at him, Franklin removed the ropes from his hands and replaced them with zip ties, taking great pleasure in making them as tight as possible, eliciting more swears and more accusations of police brutality from the man. When he was done, he opened the back door of his car and roughly pushing the man's head down as he shoved him in the back.

"Watch your head, don't want you getting hurt any further, do we?" Riley just glared back at him as Franklin slammed the door shut harder than necessary. He turned and looked at the group in front of him. "Good luck sir. I'll see you as soon as possible." Granger nodded again and he got into the driver's seat and drove away with his prisoner.

Turning back to the waiting men, he sighed. "I guess that means you're with me. It's going to be a tight fit with the five of us. Good thing I took the sedan." He grumbled. He walked to the remaining car, the others right on his heels. Surprisingly, Callen let Chet have the front passenger seat, instead getting into the back with Trip and Dodger with no argument. It was a measure of the respect his agent had for the older man. Granger shrugged and got into the car, reaching up to tap his earwig. "Eric, we're ready to go. Can you give us the location of the van?" Trip and Dodger exchanged looks with Callen who pretended not to know what was going on either, even though he could hear Eric's reply in his own ear. Chet just seemed to take it in stride, staring out the windshield, anxious to be underway.

"They're out of the viaduct and heading East on Whittier Blvd. Most likely headed to the 10."

Hetty's voice joined his. "We know Seavers's _place of business_ is in Santa Monica." Her disdain for the type of business dripped from her words. "We already have agents on their way there as that's where they're most likely taking Mr. Deeks and Beth. Mr. Porter is the lead agent. They'll establish a perimeter but won't make contact until we have everyone involved on record. Mr. Hanna and Miss. Blye still have eyes on the van and have not been spotted as far as we can tell. Mr. Samuels is spelling them in a different car so that they'll be less likely to notice the tail. I know I don't need to remind you gentlemen that Mr. Deeks is in danger as long as he's with them, as well as Beth. Please take care."

"Of course. We'll head to Santa Monica and meet up with Porter. Um, could you let him know I'll have company?"

Hetty chuckled, having heard the exchange over comms and knew that Owen was most likely very disgruntled about said company and thoroughly pissed at Mr. Callen. She smiled as she replied. "Of course Owen. We wouldn't want Mr. Porter to be surprised into doing something rash."

"Very funny." He started the car and pointed it at Santa Monica.

~,~,~,~

Listening on comms, Deeks gave a small strained smile. The banter between the NCIS agents might seem unwarranted from anyone on the outside looking in but he knew better than anyone that it was their way of bolstering each other's confidence and hiding their own concerns. These were some of the bravest men and women he had ever worked with and he was honored to be counted amongst them. He bit back a groan as the van made a sharp turn and he slid across the back, barely keeping his grip on Beth. He braced his feet as they made another turn and then picked up speed. Based on what he'd heard, he figured they were now on the 10, heading to Santa Monica. The back of the van was windowless and there was only a dirty window between him and the front seat that he couldn't see enough out of to recognize any landmarks. It provided only a small amount of light in the back from the passing street lights. It was just enough to keep them from being completely in the dark.

He shifted the sleeping child a little and slipped his hand under his coat to feel his side. He wasn't happy when he pulled it out and saw the blood on his hand. He'd been hoping it was just a graze and that it would've stopped bleeding by now. Apparently, he wasn't going to be that lucky. He felt a little light headed and hoped they'd get to where they were going sooner rather than later. He really wanted this to be over with and Beth safely away from these people. He started when he found himself sliding sideways, his eyes heavy. He pushed himself further up the wall, fighting to stay awake. He wouldn't be able to help keep Beth safe if he wasn't fully conscious when the team breached. He had faith in his team. He knew they'd be coming for him and Beth.

~,~,~,~

A/N – Yeah, so I backed myself into a corner with the whole Los Angeles River thing. That's what you get for trying to write about a place you've never been and you rely heavily on internet maps. It LOOKED like a nice big river! For this chapter I started looking into it and had to completely change direction once I learned more about it. Hopefully, it doesn't cause too much incontinuity.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Deeks started awake, not sure when he'd drifted off or if he'd missed anything important. Realizing that they were still moving and that his comms were silent, he determined that it couldn't have been that long. He blinked and rolled his head to clear the cobwebs away. Shifting the sleeping Beth a little, he reached under his shirt again and was unhappy to find that his side was still bleeding. He'd really hoped it would've stopped by now. He was probably going to need stitches when this was over. Sighing quietly, he gently placed the child on her side on the floor and rummaged around in Artie's pockets until he found what he was looking for. The bandana wasn't spotless, but it would have to do. He placed it on the floor and then leaned forward to quietly wrestle his belt off, making small movements so that the watchers back in Ops wouldn't start asking questions. Thankfully he was wearing jeans that would stay up without the benefit of a belt. That would have been just too embarrassing…emphasis on ass. He folded the bandana up and pressed it against the wound, silencing a hiss that would have given him away. He slowly maneuvered the belt around his back and buckled it to hold the bandana in place, pulling it tight. That should put some pressure on it and help to stop the bleeding. When he was done, he leaned back against the side of the van, a little worried that the small effort he'd just expended had left him feeling shaky. He looked down at the innocent little girl at his side and knew she was worth it.

He felt the van slow down and then make a right turn. Okay, off the highway then. That must mean they were close and this would be over soon enough. He opened his mouth to take a chance on asking where they were when Eric sounded over the comms. "Deeks, you just left the 10 in Santa Monica. Sam and Kensi are right behind you. Granger, Callen and the rest are about three minutes behind them. Porter's team is already in place and have confirmed that Rachel Seavers in on the premises. You doing okay?" Deeks reached up and tapped the earwig once for yes. "Good to hear. You might be interested to know that Franklin dropped Riley off at the boatshed and headed back out. He should be joining the rest of the team shortly. Riley got medical attention and started howling for a lawyer. Hetty joined him in the interrogation room and never said a word to him, just sat there and stared at him. He was gibbering after five minutes. It was priceless! We have it on tape, I'll make sure you get to watch it when you get back."

Deeks chuckled softly and heard an answering laugh in his ear. He knew exactly the stare Hetty had used, as it always reduced him to a babbling idiot when she turned it on him. He still wasn't sure how she did it. One minute he was perfectly rational and then she would get that look on her face. The next minute he was telling her things he'd vowed to himself never to mention, without her ever saying a word. On more than one occasion, he'd had to walk away before getting himself into more trouble than whatever it was he was already in. She could scare the hell out of him but he couldn't imagine anyone else running OSP. She made them all better at their jobs. He found himself thinking of the various times the two of them had been alone together. The stories she would tell. She had to be one of the most fascinating people he had ever met. Lost in his memories, he didn't realize the van had stopped until he heard a garage door rumbling open. The van slowly moved forward and stopped again. The rumbling of the door going back down released an adrenalin rush within him and he felt all his senses sharpen. It was show time.

Both the driver and passenger doors opened and slammed shut. A few seconds later, the back of the van opened and he blinked at the light that flooded in, his eyes adjusting to the sudden change. Dimitri stood in the opening and gestured for him to get out. He maneuvered himself closer to the opening and then gently picked up the still sleeping child. She started to wake up but he crooned nonsense sounds to her and she quieted. He slipped out of the van and took in his surroundings. The garage was huge and could easily hold four cars. Parked to the left of the van was the Mercedes sedan he'd seen Seavers driving the day they'd discovered she was behind the kidnappings. It was the only other vehicle there. Dimitri turned and Deeks followed. Standing at the door into the house was the other man. Deeks recognized him but had never heard his name so decided to call him Boris. He also recognized the telltale bulge of a gun hidden under the man's shirt. As Boris opened the door to allow the two of them to pass through, Deeks pretended to stumble a little and managed to tag him by grabbing his arm, Eric confirming that he was locked in. Boris shoved him through the doorway and then followed, shutting the door behind them.

Deeks took in the luxury of the kitchen the garage led to. The room was almost as big as his old apartment and about the size of the first floor of the house he and Kensi now rented. He shook his head at the extravagance as he followed the silent Dimitri through the room, Boris behind him, giving him a feeling of being trapped between them. They moved through the house, each room they passed through more opulent than the last. Finally, they came to a closed door and Dimitri knocked. He recognized the voice of the woman who answered, giving permission for them to enter. The Russian opened the door and stood aside to let him and the child through. The room was just as richly decorated as the rest of the house but was obviously used as the woman's office. Rachel Seavers was sitting behind a desk, waiting to take possession of "the merchandise" otherwise known as Beth. She rose when he entered, looking from him to Dimitri. "Who the hell is this? Why is he here?"

"He works, or worked, for Riley. He was the one who actually got the merchandise for us and was invaluable in keeping her calm for the whole ride here."

"What do you mean _worked_ for Riley?"

Dimitri shuffled his feet a little. "We may have had a bit of a misunderstanding with Riley."

She tapped her foot. "What kind of misunderstanding?"

"Well, I may have left him unconscious at the rendezvous."

Her mouth dropped open. "You idiot! Now he's going to up his prices even more!"

Deeks decided it was time to take control of the conversation. Trying to instill respect into his voice, he said. "Ma'am, you don't need him. I can be of more service to you. I know just about everyone down the Row and they all trust me implicitly. I can move around without the kind of questions Riley, or your men, may raise." He tilted his head and let an evil grin cross his face, one he pulled off by picturing her in an orange prison suit, behind bars. "Plus, I'm sure I'm a lot cheaper than he was."

"Who are you?"

He wiped the hand not holding Beth on the coat and then held it out to her. "Name's Artie."

She looked at it like it might bite her and he let it drop after a few more seconds. "What makes you think you can pull off what Riley has? He has a whole network in place."

"A network like that requires payment. Tell me what you want, I can find it and bring it to you without all that overhead."

She cocked her head at him and narrowed her eyes, trying to gauge his sincerity. By sheer willpower, he kept the disgust he felt for her and the whole operation from his face, trying to project the persona of a man willing to do anything for money. "You're willing to do this?"

"This?" He was hoping she wouldn't use the euphemism of merchandise again. He needed her to verbalize just exactly what business she was in.

"This! Take children like her from the streets and bring them here to me. You do know what they're brought here for, don't you?"

"I'm assuming it's to meet the very…specific needs of others?" He tried to be vague so that she would have to put specifics to it.

"Yes, you'd be bringing them here to satisfy the sexual desires of my clients. Clients who pay me well to get what they want and to be discrete about it." She was forthcoming with him, knowing that Dimitri wouldn't balk at killing the man and getting rid of the body if she determined he was a threat to their operation.

Deeks grinned from ear to ear, but not for the reason she thought. She'd just incriminated herself on tape and, with the warrants they'd get from _that_ little confession, he was more than sure that they'd find records _somewhere_ in this house that could be used to also take down the people who availed themselves of her services. Instead of telling her she was under arrest like he wanted, he replied carefully instead. "As long as the money's good, I don't give a rat's ass what or who you want them for. In fact, I'd prefer you didn't tell me any of that. Just tell me what you need and when. I'll get it for you…for the right price."

She thought about it for a moment and then mentioned a number. Knowing she would lowball him, he countered. She countered as well and they haggled back and forth before finally agreeing on a price. From the not so carefully disguised look of glee on her face, he knew it was significantly lower than what Riley had been charging her. But then, it didn't really matter as she was never going to pay him one red cent. Over comms he heard Hetty. "Mr. Deeks. See if you can get her to lead you to any of the other children. If I was a betting woman, which I am by the way, I would bet that her clients do not take the children home with them. These are most likely very well off men and women who cannot afford to be found with a child sex slave in their homes. They are most likely kept there and visited by appointment. We need to know where they are located before our men breach the house. Mr. Porter and his team have determined that there are at least four other guards in addition to the two who are with you, all armed. We need to be sure that the children are not in the line of fire, as I highly doubt these men will simply lay down their weapons and surrender peacefully."

Shaking a little at the thought of Beth, or any other child, either being gunned down by friendly fire or being used as a human shield or bargaining chip, he took a deep breath. Getting himself under control, he looked down at the child, who was amazingly sleeping through the entire thing. "What do you want me to do with the merchandise?"

"Follow me." Rachel pulled open the top drawer of her desk, pulling out a set of keys and led them from the room, giving Deeks a wide berth. He heard her mutter something about needing to get the place fumigated now and he smiled slightly. They followed her to a sweeping staircase and Deeks had the inconsequential thought that Scarlett O'Hara would have felt right at home making an entrance down them. They reached the second floor and turned left. They passed several bedrooms where the doors were open. The rooms were all large and well-appointed with big beds dressed in satin sheets and comforters. They all looked like rooms at one of the swankiest hotels you could think of. As they moved down the hall, Deeks counted four bedrooms, all currently empty. He figured there were another set on the right side of the house and that this was where her clients met with their desire of the moment.

At the end of the hall, there was another door. Rachel pulled out the keys and unlocked it. Behind the door was like stepping into another house. The walls were a dreary grey and the stairs uncarpeted. They headed up to find themselves in what appeared to be the attic. There were several rooms with closed doors, one padlocked from the outside. Rachel stopped at it and unlocked it. Inside were several cots lined up against the walls on each side. He was reminded of the dormitory scenes from Little Orphan Annie. Deeks found himself wondering if these had been the servant quarters at one time. Four of the beds were occupied, three on one side and one on the other. The occupants watched their entrance with dulled eyes. Deeks stopped short when he recognized the girl he knew as Penny Lane sitting on the lone bed on his left. He stared into her eyes and knew she'd been drugged. The Penny he knew would have fought tooth and nail against her captors. This Penny was a pale imitation of the young girl he'd known.

"This is the girl's dormitory. The boys are on the other side of the house." Rachel stopped at the first empty cot and pointed at it. "Put her here." Deeks moved forward and carefully placed Beth on the bed. This couldn't have worked out better. If all the missing kids were upstairs under lock and key, then when NCIS breached the house they would be safe up here. Beth rolled over and snuggled into the thin pillow, releasing a sigh. He resisted the urge to run a hand over her hair, knowing that showing any kind of affection towards the child would raise suspicion. He turned and smiled at Rachel, Dimitri and Boris. Rachel nodded and turned. "You." She pointed at Penny. "Make sure she doesn't make a fuss when she wakes up and show her where everything is. She's one of you now." Deeks saw something flash through the drug induced fog of the young girl's eyes. He held his breath, worried that she would try something that would set things in motion too early. He actually sighed a breath of relief when the dullness returned and Penny disappeared behind it, nodding dispiritedly. He followed the others out of the room and watched as Rachel locked the door, worried beyond imagination at leaving Beth behind. They followed a reverse route back to the second floor where Rachel again locked the door.

Hetty spoke again. "Excellent work Mr. Deeks. We have everything on tape. The teams have been informed of where the children are kept and they will be safe. The breach should happen within the next few minutes. We will give you a heads up and I want you to protect yourself. You are not armed and cannot participate in this." He knew she was right but it didn't sit well with him. He was heavily invested it this and didn't want to sit on the sidelines. He chose not to acknowledge her.

"When do I get my money?" He asked Rachel instead.

"Come with me. I have your money in my office." She sniffed.

They made their way back to the first floor to the office he'd first seen her in and she threw the set of keys onto the desk. She then moved to a painting on the wall behind her desk and pushed it aside to reveal a wall safe. He moved to make sure that his button camera would get the combination, his eyes turned away as she looked at him, satisfied that he wasn't trying to see the numbers she punched into the keypad. She opened the door and he turned back, catching a glimpse of a pile of money and some ledgers. He hid a smile. He was pretty sure they'd just found the smoking gun that would lead to many arrests. She pulled out a handful of bills and shut the safe door, entering the code to relock it. Turning, she held the money out to him. "Your fee, as agreed upon."

He took the money and made a show of counting it. He nodded. "Perfect. Pleasure doing business with you. I hope this leads to a long and industrious partnership." Rachel grinned at him, liking what she heard.

In his ear, Deeks heard Hetty speak. "We have more than enough. You have a go. Breach now! Mr. Deeks, please take cover!"

Following her words he heard Sam yelling. "Go! Go! Go!"

Completely ignoring Hetty's words, Deeks took a run at Boris and threw a punch, decking the man and dropping him to the floor in an unconscious heap. He turned to find Rachel and Dimitri staring at him with their mouths open. Rachel sputtered. "What the hell are you doing?" She had barely uttered the words when the NCIS teams entered the house.

"Federal Agents! We have you surrounded! Throw down your weapons!" Deeks recognized Kensi's voice and felt a swell of pride. The momentary lapse led to a situation he would rather have avoided. Dimitri pulled his gun and trained it on him.

"Hey, I have nothing to do with this! Whatever's going on, is all on you! I just got here! What the hell kind of operation are you running here? How the hell did you not know the feds were onto you?" Deeks pretended to look frantically around the room. "I need to get out of here! I am _not_ going back to jail!" He yelled.

Dimitri kept his gun trained on Deeks. "Why did you knock Pavel out? You're a cop!"

Deeks knew he'd made a mistake, he'd let his anger get the best of him and decided to turn the suspicion onto the man at his feet. He growled at the two of them. "Like hell I am! I noticed something was off with him from the beginning! I caught him looking like he was listening to someone other than us several times. He's the cop!" He moved over to the downed man and bent over him, hiding the grimace of pain when the movement pulled at his side. While his head was bowed, he pulled his earwig out and palmed it. He reached down to the man's ear and pretended to pull the device out of it. "Look at this! He's been in touch with the feds the whole time!" He threw the earwig to the floor and suppressed a smirk as the two of them stared at it and then looked at Boris…er Pavel…only to move their eyes back to him. He wasn't happy when Dimitri stomped on the earwig. He just knew that Hetty would take the cost of it out of his next paycheck or paychecks.

"I've known Pavel for a long time! I just met you tonight! I find it hard to believe he's a fed after all this time!"

"That's how they work! They get your trust and then they strike! Look, we need get the hell out of here! You can surrender if you want but not me. This would be my third strike!"

Rachel looked at him in shock. "I have no intention of surrendering! I'm not going to jail over this!"

"Okay, then do you have a plan on how to us get out of this?" He sneered at her.

"As a matter of fact, I do! Follow me!" She turned and started towards a blank wall in her office. Realizing that she did, in fact, have a plan, Deeks reached out and grabbed her, activating the Overwatch spray, hoping that Eric would have her tagged, hoping that Ops was following what had happened through his camera and would trigger the tag as he had no earwig anymore to get the confirmation.

"What?" She asked.

"Are you sure you have a way out?"

"I always have an escape route planned! Either you trust me or you wait here to be arrested!" Deeks looked at her and then nodded. Knowing he had to go with her and Dimitri to make sure that the two didn't escape. She pressed a spot on the wall and a door slipped open. She went through and Dimitri and Deeks started to follow her, Dimitri behind him, gun still drawn. While he knew that both were tagged and would not be able to get away, Deeks's LAPD training kicked in. Keep the suspects on site and within LAPD's reach. He turned and knocked the gun out of the man's hand. Dimitri struck out viciously, striking Deeks in the face. The two struggled until Dimitri landed a lucky hit at the knife wound in Deeks's side and the world went grey as he collapsed to the floor. Dimitri growled and kicked him in the side and then in the head, opening a gash across his forehead. He pulled his leg back to kick him again when Rachel grabbed his arm to stop him. "We don't have time for this! We need to go. NOW!" The man shrugged her off, kicked the downed cop one more time and then followed her into the wall. The opening slid shut behind them, leaving Deeks alone in the room with the still unconscious Pavel.

~,~,~,~

Sam and Kensi trailed the van to Santa Monica. Its destination wasn't a surprise but they were relieved that their supposition had been correct. Charlie Porter and a team of agents were already on site and waiting for them. Sam pulled the Challenger in behind Porter's SUV and the two got out. Charlie moved to meet them. "Sam, Kensi. Good to see you."

"You too Charlie." Sam replied. He was just about to ask what they'd found out when Granger pulled up behind the Challenger. The five men piled out and Sam smiled at the sight of his regular partner getting out of the back. He'd missed him.

When the men reached their group, the three homeless men lagging behind, trying to see everything, Granger took the lead. "Sit-rep? What are we looking at here?"

"Four armed guards and the woman are inside, sir. No one's seen any kids or clients."

Granger sighed. "Great."

"Probably no one coming tonight as she's getting a _delivery_." Charlie paused and asked quietly so that only Granger could hear. "How's Deeks?" He knew that both men had been undercover for longer than expected and that the involvement of someone Deeks had trusted would be eating at his friend.

"Glad this is almost over. Listen, at least one of the men in the van is armed. We have to assume that the other is as well. That makes six armed targets. We need to be sure that this doesn't turn into a gun battle with the kids caught in the middle." Granger replied.

"Yeah I know. I just wish we knew where they were."

With her usual impeccable timing, they heard Hetty ask Deeks over comms to find out where the children were. They listened quietly as the detective got himself in with the madam and then found where the kids were being quartered. Sam and Callen shared a relieved grin when they realized they were in a safe place. Another car pulled up and Jim Franklin got out to join them. Everyone was on site and they were ready to go.

Callen looked at Granger and asked. "Do you have a spare gun?" Granger looked at him and then to the men with him. "They're going to find out anyway, might as well be now and I don't want to be unarmed." Granger nodded and pulled his back up gun from his ankle holster, handing it to him.

Callen took it, chambering a round and placing it in his waistband. He turned to look at the three men with him. Only Chet appeared unsurprised that Greg had just been given a gun and knew what to do with it. Trip and Dodger looked confused. Swallowing, Callen prepared to break their trust in him. "Look, I'm sorry I lied to you but my name isn't Greg. It's Grisha Callen and I'm an NCIS agent."

Trip blinked and then asked in a small voice. "And Artie?"

Knowing Deeks would want to keep his cover intact if at all possible, Callen answered without lying. "No, Artie is not a federal agent." Technically the man was still an LAPD detective. "He brought me into this when he heard what was going on. We've known each other for a while and I trusted the information he gave me. My boss gave me the green light to come down to the Row with him to stop this."

"Are you the guy who used to be the cop who arrested him?" Dodger asked.

"No, that was our cover story to explain how a federal agency got involved."

Chet nodded and said. "I knew there was something about you that didn't make sense. When Artie got into that van, I saw you automatically reach for your weapon." He smiled at Callen, letting him know that he wasn't going to hold the lies against him, knowing why he'd done it.

Granger interrupted. "Okay, set a perimeter. Everyone in their place and wait for a go. No one gets out of there except in handcuffs or a body bag." Sam raised an eyebrow. "Except Artie and the kids of course! Jeez Sam." He added in response. The men scattered to their assigned positions. He turned and looked at the three homeless men standing with Callen. "You three stay here and stay out of the way. We don't need to be worrying about keeping you safe as well as Artie and any kids in there. Do you understand me?"

Trip opened his mouth to argue but Chet put a hand on his arm. "He's right Trip. No one doubts your bravery or ability to help, but they have this covered and we would only be a liability. They didn't have to let us get this far in the first place." Trip closed his mouth and reluctantly nodded. He really wanted to be on the front line but knew no one would give him a gun.

In their ears, the NCIS agents heard Hetty speak. "We have more than enough. You have a go. Breach now! Mr. Deeks, please take cover!"

Following her words Sam yelled. "Go! Go! Go!" From all sides, the federal agents breached the house.

Once inside, Kensi and Porter tracked down two of the guards and she yelled. "Federal Agents! We have you surrounded! Throw down your weapons!" One of them raised his gun and she shot him without a thought. Porter had his gun trained on the other, who held up his hands. "Slowly put the gun on the floor and back away." She said. He did as she ordered. She moved forward and snagged the gun with her foot, pushing it behind her in Porter's direction while he kept the man in his sights. "On your knees, cross your ankles and lace your fingers behind your head." He complied and she moved behind him, pulling out zip ties from her vest. Once she had his hands secured, she bound his feet and used a foot to push him over onto his side. "Stay there like a good boy and we'll come back to get you." She raised her gun and the two of them began moving through the house again. Over comms she could hear others taking down the rest of the guards.

Sam and Callen had gotten one while Granger and Franklin got another. That left the two from the van and Seavers. The teams moved quietly and carefully into each room of the huge house. Callen pressed his earwig and addressed Ops. "Eric, at least one of the men from the van was tagged by Deeks. Do you have him?"

"Yes, I was just about to contact you! Deeks was able to tag Seavers and the other guy. We're not sure why but Deeks just knocked him out cold. He's now trying to convince the guy we know as Dimitri and Seavers that the guy was a federal agent planted in the organization and it was him who led us to them." Eric paused. "Damn it!"

"What's going on Eric?" Sam asked.

"We just lost audio contact with Deeks. Dimitri shattered the earwig. I only have video now!"

"Well, where are they?"

"Seavers's office, first floor. Kensi and Porter are closest. What the hell?"

"What now? Eric?"

"Seavers just opened a secret door in her office, they're heading through it!"

"Track them!"

"Oh no! Deeks just tried to disarm Dimitri and they're fighting! Guys, it looks like Deeks is down! He's not moving anymore!"

"Guide Kensi to the room Eric. She and Porter can help Deeks. Nell, can you guide the rest of us towards Seavers and Dimitri?"

Nell's voice sounded over his comms. "Yes, they're moving west. Now, that's just plain weird!"

"What?"

"They've left the property but none of our guys have seen them."

Sam and Callen exchanged a look. "We need to find them Nell."

"Overwatch still has both of them and they're still together. I just pulled up the building plans for the house. There's a small building to the west of the main house that looks like it used to be servants quarters. There must be an underground passageway that allowed them to move back and forth in bad weather. The two signals are headed that way."

"Okay, Sam and I are leaving the house and will follow them. Have Franklin and Granger meet us there. The rest of the teams should stay here in case any of the guards we took down decide to make a break for it or Seavers and company double back to the house."

"Will do!" They could hear her forwarding his instructions to the rest.

Granger's voice came over their comms. "Franklin and I are on the way. We'll meet you at the other building. Wait for us before entering."

Callen acknowledged him as he and his partner left the house. Nell directed both teams to the outer building and they arrived at the same time. "Where's Seavers Nell?" He asked.

"You got there before them, they're almost there."

"Got it. Has Kensi reached Deeks?"

"Hold on." They heard her talking with Eric and then she came back to them. "Yes, Kensi and Porter are with him now. They've secured the other guy but Deeks is still out. He has a wound to his forehead and is bleeding. Eric called 911 and an ambulance is on the way. Hetty actually requested two as we aren't sure what condition the kids will be in when we get them out."

"Good idea. Let us know when Seavers arrives here."

"You got it!"

While Callen was talking with Nell, Franklin and Sam had done some reconnaissance. Arriving back to where Granger and Callen waited, Sam said. "There's only one way in or out and that's through that door right there." He pointed at the door they were facing. "I say we wait on either side and let them come to us."

Callen grinned at him and nodded. The four men moved quietly to the building, Sam and Callen taking up positions to the right, Granger and Franklin to the left. "Guys, they've reached the building. You should be seeing them shortly." Nell informed them. Sam cocked his head and listened hard. He was finally rewarded with the sound of someone moving inside. He flashed a hand signal at the other two and tapped Callen's shoulder. Four guns were raised and pointed at the door. It opened and Dimitri stepped through, Seavers right on his heels.

She shut the door behind her and said. "I told you I had an escape plan! Those stupid feds will never know where we went. We need to get out of here and lie low for a while. I'm not giving all this up. I have money stashed all over Santa Monica and Los Angeles under different names. When things calm down, we can start up again in a new location." Seavers was positively gloating and neither noticed the federal agents standing behind them.

Granger grinned and spoke. "Going somewhere?"

Dimitri whirled and raised his gun. When he saw the four guns aimed at him, he raised his hands and let the gun drop. Seavers just stared at them open mouthed. "How did you…?"

Callen smiled. "Us stupid feds have our ways. Rachel Seavers, you're under arrest for child endangerment and child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation." He gestured with his gun at Dimitri. "Same goes for you."

Seavers sneered at him. "You have no idea of the people I know! I'll be out before you can file the paperwork. You can't prove I had anything to do with this! I was a victim of this as well, he was running the show! I just found out about this tonight and came here to fire him." She pointed at Dimitri who just shook his head.

"Unfortunately for you, none of the people you know will be able to help you. Most of them will be too busy trying to get themselves out of jail. In addition, we have you on tape discussing your little business here. You're going away for a very long time." Granger said. "Agent Callen, I believe we'll let you have the honor of securing Ms. Seavers."

"With pleasure Assistant Director Granger." Callen put his gun back in his waistband and took the zip ties Sam held out to him. He moved behind her and roughly pulled her hands behind her back, looping the zip ties over them and pulling them tight. Franklin secured Dimitri in the same way.

"You're hurting me! Those are too tight!" She whined.

"Oh? Sorry about that." Callen's tone made her very aware that he wasn't sorry at all. She glared at him and he just smiled in return. "Let's go." He said as he pushed her towards the house.

"Callen? Sam?" Kensi's voice came over the comms.

"We're here Kensi, we have Seavers and Dimitri in custody. How's Deeks?"

"That's why I'm contacting you. The idiot is awake and refusing medical treatment until we get all the kids out and make sure they're all okay! Can you guys come and try to talk some sense into him?"

Sam sighed in frustration and turned to Callen to complain about Deeks. The look on his partner's face stopped him. He could tell that his friend's sympathy lay with the detective. Thinking about it, he decided he felt the same. "We're on our way Kensi, but you should know that we agree with Deeks. He deserves to be there when we let those kids know they're free and are going to be going home." He heard her sigh over the comms. He had a feeling she also agreed but was worried about her fiancé. He smiled a little. He still wasn't used to using that term to describe Deeks.

They reached the house where Granger and Franklin took charge of their prisoners, freeing up the two men to join their teammates. They found the office by following the raised voices of Kensi and Deeks. Kensi was still arguing he needed to go to the ER and Deeks was still flatly refusing. He looked at Sam and Callen as they entered the room. "Are you two going to start on me now?" Sam looked at Deeks and understood why Kensi was worried. There were dark circles under his eyes and dried blood streaked down his face, although the head wound appeared to have stopped bleeding. What concerned everyone in the room was how pale he was and lines of pain around his mouth and eyes. Callen looked at the paramedics who shrugged. They couldn't force the man to submit to medical assistance while he was still conscious.

"No, we're not going to start on you Deeks. We both understand your need to be here and we agree with you. At least let these guys clean you up and bandage your head. You don't want to scare the kids, do you?" Sam said. Deeks opened his mouth to argue but then closed it and nodded. One of the paramedics went to work and soon had him looking more presentable.

"You ready?" Callen asked.

Deeks nodded and went to the desk to pick up the keys Seavers had dropped there. Everyone watched how gingerly he moved but kept their comments to themselves, for now. "One set of keys opens the girl's dorm and one set opens the boys. I plan on going to the girl's side to get Beth and Penny. I think it would be a good idea for Kensi to go with me. They may not be very receptive to a man right now. You guys go to the boy's side?" Callen nodded and held out his hand. Deeks removed the two keys he'd seen Seavers use and handed the rest to him. They left the office and Sam requested a set of paramedics to go with each group as they had no idea what they would be dealing with. One set had a female paramedic and, without discussing it, her team aligned themselves with Deeks and Kensi.

They went up the stairs, letting Deeks set the pace. His face was almost grey when they reached the top. "Deeks…" Kensi started but stopped when he turned to stare at her. She shook her head and sighed but let it go. He pointed to the right and Sam's group broke off. He and Kensi, the paramedics worriedly trailing him, moved to the left. His hands were shaking as he tried to unlock the door. Kensi finally gently took the keys from him and got the door open. Still, he was first to start up the stairs, moving even more slowly. When they got to the padlocked door, he waited stoically as she undid the lock. Again, he was first through the door where he stopped. Beth was awake, having heard the commotion downstairs and was crying in Penny's arms. He shook himself and started forward. Penny protectively moved away, Beth in her arms, her eyes darting around the room.

"Penny, it's me, Artie. You know me. You're safe now honey. We're here to get you out. They can't hurt you anymore. Let me take Beth." He moved towards her but she backed away some more.

"No! You're the one who brought her here! You're working with them. I won't let you hurt her!"

Kensi put her hand on his arm. He stopped and looked at her, his heart in his eyes. "Let me, she's scared and from what we know, most likely drugged up." He nodded and stepped back. Kensi slowly made her way towards the two girls. "Artie told me your name is Penny and that you're a very brave and smart girl. I'm not going to hurt you or Beth. I want to help you, we all do. The people who did this to you are going to go away for a very long time. Can you let us help you?"

Penny looked at her for what seemed like hours and then finally nodded. Kensi moved up to take the crying Beth from her arms and Penny looked past her at Deeks. "Artie?"

"Yeah, it's me sweetheart. I'm so sorry this happened to you but it's over! We'll get you whatever help you need. You have to trust me a little on this, okay?"

She nodded and then she was on the move. She rushed into his arms and then started to sob hysterically. He put his arms around her and started to rock her, crooning nonsense words to her until she finally quieted. When she moved a little out of his embrace, he searched her face. "Can you let the paramedics take a look at you? We're going to take all of you to the hospital so you can get the best care. I'll be there every step of the way, okay?"

She swallowed hard and nodded. The female paramedic stepped up to her side and gently led her to the cot, introducing herself as Marcy. She sat and allowed the woman to take her vitals. The other paramedic began on the other three girls in the room. They finished up quickly and then conferred. Marcy looked at the anxious agents, Kensi still holding Beth in her arms. "They're all in good shape. A little dehydrated and malnourished but okay." She looked at her partner, anger flashing across both faces. "We'll need to get them to a doctor to determine if…if…" Her eyes filled with tears as she was pretty sure all the children had been sexually abused.

Deeks reached out and put a hand on her arm, trying to comfort her. "Do what you can for them and then let's get them to the hospital. There are some very worried people waiting for them." She nodded and gave him a small strained smile. The children were herded downstairs where Sam and Callen were waiting for them with the boys, of which there were six. That was three more children than they'd been aware had been missing. The look on the agent's and paramedic's faces indicated that the boys were in the same condition as the girls. The children were carefully moved to the waiting cars, only one child was bad enough to need an ambulance, the adults feeling that the cars would make things feel more normal. Chet, Trip and Dodger were moving among them, the familiar faces helping make the children feel safer. When everyone was loaded up and the vehicles moved out, several eyes turned to Deeks who was swaying on his feet. Kensi moved up to him and touched his arm. "You promised you'd let the paramedics get a good look at you once the children were freed and safe. It's over and now you need to keep that promise."

"I want to go to the hospital with them."

"You will, in the back of that ambulance right there. Let Marcy take care of you." Marcy and her partner had requested to be the ones to stay behind and take care of the detective. Kensi suspected the young woman had a minor crush on Deeks, even looking as he did. Deeks nodded and swayed again.

He turned to find himself surrounded by worried friends and tried to smile. His eyes met Chet's and the man smiled encouragingly at him. "You did good here Artie. Now it's your turn to be taken care of." Deeks sighed as his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed. Sam was close enough to catch him and gently lowered him to the ground.

Marcy and her partner moved in quickly and began to take his vitals. "His blood pressure is really low and his pulse is thready. This is more than a concussion from the kick to the head. Help me get this coat off." Callen moved in and helped the two remove Artie from Deeks. Marcy felt something weird around his middle and moved his shirt up, exposing the belt around his middle and the blood soaked bandana. "What?" She reached out and undid the belt, gently removing the bandana to see the ugly looking wound in his side, the edges already hot and red, oozing blood. "He's got what looks like a stab wound in his side. It's already infected and he's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to the hospital, now!"

Kensi was watching their every move, worried by how still Deeks was. She looked over Marcy's shoulder as the paramedic gave her opinion and felt the blood drain from her face at the sight. He'd been bleeding for hours now and never said a word. He'd hidden it from them as evidenced by the makeshift pressure bandage. She wasn't sure if she was furious with him for taking such a chance with himself or insanely proud of how determined he'd been to get those kids away from their predators. She decided to just be scared. They quickly loaded him into the ambulance, Kensi scrambling in with them without asking and it screamed away from the house, leaving everyone staring after it in concern.

~,~,~,~

A/N – sorry about the long wait. I took two weeks vacation and spent the first week getting ready for a trip (laundry, laundry, laundry) and making sure my house was presentable enough not to scare my cat sitter away. Add in Thanksgiving and the week was gone in a puff of smoke. The second week was spent lounging by the pool of a resort in Punta Cana, umbrella drink in hand. Had a great time! Took one extra day when we got back and figured I'd write then but instead spent the whole day under a blanket and two very clingy cats. The next week back to work was a huge shock to my system and I was in no mood to write until today. I wish I was back in the lovely warm weather instead of sitting here in a sweatshirt and a blanket. Ah, winter in New England!

A/N2 – Thinking one more chapter in the form of an epilogue. A special thanks to honus47 for finding all my errors - you're the best!

A/N3 - To those reviewers who sign in as guest which means I can't respond directly, thank you!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kensi paced the waiting room, counting twenty steps one way, turning and counting twenty the other. Four pairs of eyes silently followed her progress, leaving her only when the door to the waiting room opened, hoping it would be news of their friend who had been taken into surgery. Granger, Sam and Callen, along with Kensi, were all too used to this waiting game. Jim Franklin had only been here for the McGonagle fiasco. Charlie Porter had wanted to be here as well, but had agreed to take on the liaison position between NCIS and Child Protective Services. Hetty was back at Ops, soothing ruffled feathers amongst the other alphabets, especially the FBI, who thought it should have been their case from the beginning, and Deeks's own LAPD who wanted to know why they hadn't been included in the operation. SMPD was also angry that this had gone down in their jurisdiction and they hadn't been informed. Bringing down Seavers and breaking up a child kidnapping for sex ring would have been a huge bust for any of the agencies. Hetty was weary of the posturing and, with LAPD, barely tap danced around flat out saying no one there could be trusted, as it was widely rumored that Rachel Seavers had cops on her payroll.

Due to the sensitive nature of the operation they were still in the middle of, none of Deeks and Kensi's friends had been informed he was hurt and in the hospital. Kensi was seriously considering not telling anyone that it had happened, worried about the backlash, especially from Kip, something she knew Deeks would totally understand. Then she wasn't sure how to keep Sam from telling Michelle, or Callen from telling Joelle and once they knew….okay, they'd have to tell them all later, much later. These were just some of the random thoughts that wandered through her head as she waited to find out how many lives her jungle cat had left.

The warrants on the house had already been executed. Warrants that had been carefully and quietly approved by a judge that both Hetty and Granger trusted. At this point, no one knew who might have something to hide related to the case. The fact that they had the location and combination to the safe, thanks to Deeks, had made it ridiculously easy to find her ledgers and news was trickling in through the Wonder Twins of exactly who had been among her clients and who was on her payroll. The woman apparently kept impeccable records. Nell and Eric found themselves wondering if she kept them so meticulously for possible future blackmail campaigns. Some of the names had both astounded and disappointed them. The courts were going to be busy the next few months and the media was going to have a field day, tripping all over themselves to report the downfall and perversions of some pretty big names. Not only were those involved in the child sex ring named, but others with significantly less heinous dealings, along with cops, judges and political officials on her payroll, were listed.

Chet, Trip and Dodger had stayed with Callen and the others, worried about Artie, ignoring the sideways looks from the nurses, aides and other people waiting for news of their own, used to being looked down on. A nurse had come in shortly after they arrived to tell the four homeless looking men that their friend needed surgery and that someone would be out to talk to them later. She had never connected the others to them and they'd let it go, keeping Deeks's secret. So far, they'd heard nothing further. Charlie came to get the three men about two hours into their vigil, as the drugs were starting to wear off and the children were scared and anxious. It was hoped that familiar faces would help to calm them without having to administer more sedatives. Their help would also be invaluable in identifying the children and who their parents were.

Chet was already planning to set up a network to get word to those parents who were in the Row and Nell and Eric were working on Penny, trying to locate hers, as well as to identify any children that they didn't know. NCIS agents would ferry anyone who needed a ride to the hospital from wherever they were. The number of volunteers was staggering and surprised the homeless men. Deeks's identify was still being carefully hidden from them so they couldn't know it was a measure of respect and friendship for the man Chet suspected was something so much more than a homeless junkie. In addition, the horrors of what the children had gone through had touched many of the agents, who all wanted to do whatever they could, no matter how small.

Their leaving had been an immense relief to Kensi. She'd had to keep her outward worry at a level that pretended Deeks was only an asset who'd been hurt on their watch. The others had been relieved when she was able to begin her pacing, worried that she wouldn't be able to maintain that air of disinterested concern for long. She had been in this position more times than they cared to remember since their partnership began. This time he'd hidden how hurt he was from them and she was furious, in addition to being scared that, this time, he wouldn't make it. Sam had tried to offer her a sympathetic word and a shoulder to lean on, but her glare had sent him scurrying back to the safety of his chair and his partner. Hence, the silent watching.

The doors opened and five pairs of hopeful eyes turned towards it, only to be disappointed once again as Hetty, Nell and Eric came through it. Hetty graced them with a small smile and said. "If I were a less confident woman, the obvious disappointment at our entrance would surely have given me quite the complex." Strained smiles, that quickly disappeared, met her little joke. She sighed. She'd hoped to lighten the obvious tension in the room a little but hadn't succeeded. She made her way over to the chairs where Callen silently got up and moved, leaving the chair next to Granger open for her. She sat and allowed herself to lean into him a little. She was tired and grateful for his immediate support in the form of his leaning back into her. Nell watched Kensi pace and headed towards her. Sam caught her eye and shook his head no. She sighed and took the seat next to the one Eric had staked out. They settled in to both wait and watch.

~,~,~,~

NCIS agents swarmed over the house in Santa Monica, having to deal with both SMPD trying to force their way in and the fact that the media was already on sight, trying to find out how the madam who'd seemed untouchable, had finally been taken down. They were under strict orders that no one from any agency outside of NCIS was allowed on the premises, especially cops, and said cops were not happy. Agents were stationed at each entry and had rebuffed several attempted forays into the house by both SMPD officers and reporters.

Special Agent Winston Daniels and his partner Devon Miles had been on scene when the house was breeched and had been assigned to lead the search of the house once the warrants were in place. Technically, it was legal to search without the warrants due to the circumstances, but this was important enough to make sure that there could be no loopholes for anyone to wiggle through in the future. The warrants had been delivered and the two, already exhausted from the events of the evening, began to coordinate the teams. Several hours later, they were even more exhausted, this time mentally as they went through the records that had been discovered. They were also worried about Deeks, who both considered a friend.

After making their way up to the girl's dormitory, they both stopped and were spellbound for a few minutes, as each thought about what the children had endured in that house. A fury awoke in Winston that radiated off him and surprised his partner. They'd been together for several years and he was Devon's best friend in this world and she'd never seen him this angry about anything. She knew him as well as she knew herself and, if she wanted something more, well, she kept it well hidden. For her, the thoughts brought an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair as she wondered what kind of people could hurt children for money and/or pleasure. What was their world coming to? Winston turned to her in his rage, certain he would find the same reflected in her eyes and was stunned to find tears running down the face of the partner he'd always thought was tougher than nails. He reached out and touched her arm, his own anger forgotten in his concern for her. She lifted her eyes to him and her chin quivered. He pulled her into his arms, stunned when she leaned into his chest and started to cry in earnest. He loosened his hold on her after a bit, leaning back to wipe the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "Hey, hey, what's this all about? We got the bad guys and we're going to be sure they don't see the light of day for a long, long time! Those kids are going to get the best possible care available and no one will be able to hurt them again."

"I know." She hiccupped. "Do you ever feel like we're shoveling sand against the tide? For every bad guy we take down, it seems like ten more take their place! You have to know that this probably isn't the only ring like this operating out there." She sniffled. "What kind of a species are we?"

"A flawed one. But as long as there are people out there like you and me, working against people like Seavers and her crew, I have to think we have a chance!"

She sighed and smiled up at him. "Thanks Win, I can always count on you to make me feel better."

He looked down into her eyes and thought he saw something there that he'd been hoping to see for a long time. Praying that it wasn't wishful thinking and that she wouldn't be angry at him later for taking advantage of her in a weak moment, he slowly lowered his head towards hers, waiting and watching for a sign that this wasn't what she wanted. He saw her eyes widen in surprise and then her eyelids lowered a little as she lifted her head to his. He gently touched her lips with his own, still not sure of his reception. When she lifted her hands to his head and pulled him in closer, he deepened the kiss and the room where so many bad things had happened, swirled away, forgotten, at least for a moment.

~,~,~,~

The doors to the waiting room opened again and this time eight pairs of eyes met those of the person coming through the door. The doctor stopped, not sure if this eclectic group of people were here for her patient. The man who had just been operated on was something of an enigma to her. It had seemed he was obviously homeless, smelling to high heaven, to the point where she and the nurses had had to breathe through their mouths as they stripped him down in triage to get a good look at his wounds. Looking in his mouth, she had taken in the rotted teeth that indicated a meth user and had sighed, wondering if he'd been stabbed over drugs and saving his life would be a waste of time. The intake of the children from what was now being termed the "Sex House" had also occurred in the ER, but most of the children had been taken to the children's ward immediately, the only one who'd needed treatment had gotten it and followed shortly after. The trauma section of the ER, where she worked, was always busy and she'd had little time to follow the gossip, only hearing that eleven children had been brought in and why. She'd had a moment's thought about what she would like to do to the animals that had done that to children but then they had turned back to saving the life of the homeless man in front of her.

After being typed, a blood transfusion was started immediately and he was hooked up to monitors so they could watch his BP and heartbeat. When she was done with her examination, x-rays were taken and it was determined that, once he was stable enough, surgery was only needed to repair the damage the knife had done. Once he was back and hooked up again, he'd been remanded over to the surgical unit for care and she'd moved on to her next case, never thinking that someone might be waiting for news on him. Luckily, one of the nurses had seen what appeared to be other homeless men in the waiting room and had assumed, rightly, that they had come in together. The nurse had told the men only that he was being taken up to surgery and then left. That had been over four hours ago.

The surgeon had just come down to fill her in on how it went and to hand her a plastic container. They had shared a look when she saw what was in it and the surgeon had just shrugged and then proceeded to give her the information she needed to pass on. As the intake doctor, it would fall to her to update anyone waiting for him. In the waiting room, she found it hard to believe that anyone, other than the one man who also appeared to be homeless, at least based on his clothing and lack of hygiene, was here for the one simply known as Artie, yet they all stood together. She cleared her throat and said. "Family of…Artie?"

All eight converged on her, talking at once, asking how he was. The loudest was a very attractive brunette whose eyes were filled with fear. She held up her hand to quiet the din. "I'm Dr. Annie Bertrand. He's out of surgery and should make a full recovery. The knife wound in his side slightly nicked his liver. It could probably have been fixed up without surgery, just some stitches and bed rest but, based on the bruising around it, it appears he was punched and/or kicked hard in that area _after_ sustaining the wound. This tore the liver more, resulting in additional significant damage and blood loss. Dr. Wells was able to repair the damage and he's been given several transfusions. He also has a fairly severe concussion from what looks like a kick to the head. The gash on his forehead required stitches but tests show no bleeding or swelling in the brain. He'll most likely have a bad headache when he wakes up, as well as some dizziness and nausea. He has several cracked ribs on the opposite side to the stab wound, again, from the bruising, they appear to have been the result of being kicked. He's developed an infection, as the bandana the paramedics said he'd used as a bandage to cover the open wound, was less than clean. We have him on broad spectrum antibiotics for that but his fever isn't overly high at the moment as it was caught early." She paused. "His tox screens came back clean, no sign of any kind of drugs or we wouldn't have been able to operate on him." That last part had caused some curiosity on her part. She'd been so sure the labs would show he was loaded with drugs.

She held up the container and asked. "Would someone care to fill me in on what the hell is going on? The surgical team pulled these from his mouth when they went to anesthetize him." She rattled the container and all eyes went to it. The laughter started with the brunette and suddenly all eight of the people surrounding the confused doctor were in hysterics, relief over their friend's prognosis making them giddy. Even Granger was laughing so hard, tears started to form in his eyes as he took in "Artie's" fake teeth in the container, reminding him of an unfortunate incident in his youth when he'd found his grandfather's dentures in a glass in the man's bathroom.

When the laughter finally died down, the doctor still stood there with her mouth open in confusion and the container suspended in midair. Hetty cleared her throat but couldn't wipe the smile from her face. "Dr. Bertrand, can we count on you keeping the information we're about to give you on your patient confidential?"

The look of indignation that crossed the doctor's face was enough of an answer and her quickly spoken "Of course!" went a long way to reinforce it.

Hetty continued. "Excellent! My name is Henrietta Lange, Operations Manager for NCIS and this is Assistant Director Owen Granger. NCIS is a federal agency under Naval jurisdiction." She pointed out Owen and then introduced the rest of the team of federal agents, ending with Kensi, adding that Artie was her partner and fiancé. Annie looked askance at the one introduced as Agent Callen, who looked as homeless as she'd thought her patient to be. Done with the introductions, Hetty got to the point. "Artie is actually undercover LAPD Detective Martin Deeks and he was instrumental in bringing down a child kidnapping for sex ring. He…"

Annie interrupted her. "He was involved in taking down that ring?"

"Yes, he's the only reason it was."

"Well, he'll get the VIP treatment then! I haven't heard much, due to how busy we've been, but what I _have_ heard, has been more than enough."

"Thank you Dr. Bertrand. We would like you to admit Mr. Deeks under his alias of Artie, no last name known and also indicate that he is a drug addict and under arrest. If anyone asks, he was somehow working for the kidnapping ring, in what capacity, you don't know. We'd like to post a guard for his protection, under the guise of keeping him from escaping, as we aren't sure how widespread this case will become. I'm not sure if his life will be in danger here at the hospital, but I took that chance once before and we almost lost him. I won't make that mistake again. Now, do you understand that you _must_ keep this information to yourself?"

Annie nodded in bemusement as she took it all in. Her time in the ER was often grueling and sometimes there was a little excitement, usually in the form of a weird accident or a fight breaking out but this, this was something else. She wished she could share it with her fellow ER workers but was pleased that they had trusted her with this information, determined that she wouldn't let them down. Smiling, she nodded her acceptance and said. "He's in recovery now but one of you can sit with him if you'd like?"

Kensi immediately moved forward and the two turned to walk out of the waiting room. Behind them, the man introduced as Agent Callen's voice suddenly rang out. "Wait! What did you do with Artie?"

Annie turned around, confused. "Artie? I just told you that I agreed we would be admitting him under that name."

The laughter in the room returned as everyone else knew exactly what Callen was asking. When he got his laughter under control, he clarified. "Sorry doc, Artie is what Deeks calls his undercover homeless guy coat. We think he loves that thing."

"Oh dear, I'm not sure what happened to it. It's possible it was trashed, it was covered in blood and stunk to high heaven." The laughter in the room evaporated as a look of horror passed over each face. "I'll…I'll find out where it is right away. Even if it's trashed, it won't have gone far."

Relief was evident on all the faces and she just shook her head. She wasn't sure she could ever understand someone being attached to such a smelly old coat but then, to each their own. She left with Kensi on her heels.

~,~,~,~

Almost two hours later, Kensi was still sitting with Deeks in recovery, waiting for him to wake up. She was playing Tetris on her phone when she heard the magical, softly spoken words. "Hey Fern."

She looked up and smiled at him. "Hey Shaggy."

"What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were at Seavers's house and the kids were all heading to the hospital."

"That's good! You passed out shortly after that. You're in the same hospital. You needed surgery to repair a nick in your liver from the stab wound. The stab wound you kept secret from everyone! The one that could have been repaired _without_ surgery if we'd gotten you to a hospital right away!" Her voice had gone up a few octaves as she talked, letting him know in no uncertain terms, exactly how upset she was over that little piece of information. He winced, his headache making itself known. He lifted a hand and started to rub his forehead, his hand encountering a bandage. Immediately feeling contrite, Kensi leaned in, her voice softer. "I'm sorry Deeks! You also have a bad concussion. The doctor said you'd likely have a headache. Is it bad?"

He nodded and she pressed the call button. A nurse came in immediately. Kensi stood up and checked her badge. "Special Agent Kensi Blye. This man is in my custody and no one will be allowed near him without proper identification nor is he allowed to leave. Is that understood?"

The nurse nodded, having been filled in on who this patient was, or so she thought. She turned to check his vitals, trying to be professional but letting her disdain for him show in little ways. She was less gentle than normal and her voice was cold as she asked if he was nauseous or dizzy. When he replied no, that he only had a headache, she thrust some Tylenol and water at him without a kind word. He swallowed them and handed back the empty paper cup. She stared at it for a few moments and her lip curled before she reached out and took it between two fingers, walking it quickly over to the trash receptacle and dropping it in. She turned and left without another word.

Deeks looked at Kensi with confusion on his face and she smothered a smile, knowing it really wasn't funny. It's just that he was so used to the nurses falling all over themselves to make sure he had anything and everything he wanted. Her thoughts sobered as she realized how many times he'd been under the care of those nurses. She sat back down and said. "Hetty had you admitted as Artie, a junkie involved in the child sex ring, who is under arrest. Only your primary doctor here knows the truth." She winked at him. "I'm your jailor for the moment."

He smiled back, relieved to know why the nurse had acted that way, although not really happy about the whole thing. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Will there be handcuffs?"

"Yeah, furry ones!" The two dissolved into laughter as they both remembered the time they'd been undercover as husband and wife in suburbia and he'd somehow walked away with a set of furry handcuffs from their neighbor's sex dungeon. She found herself wondering where those had gone to.

"Once we get you into a real room, the rest of the team will come and see you, supposedly to interrogate you but really to see how you're doing. Everyone is really happy you're okay but still worried. Not to mention upset that you thought hiding how badly hurt you were from us, was ever going to be a good idea."

"Oh boy, on a scale of one to ten, how mad is Callen at me?" Somehow, she wasn't surprised that it was Callen he was most worried about. She'd seen how much closer the two had become during this op.

"Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, he's the least angry of us all. I think he understands just how invested you were in this case and how badly you wanted to see it through. That doesn't make it right though! Lord knows we've had enough trouble over the years with him going lone wolf without you following in his footsteps!"

He reached out a hand and covered hers where it rested on the rail. "I'll never go lone wolf Fern, I'm not alone anymore." She looked into his eyes and saw the love and honesty there, feeling her heart expand with how much she loved this man. Looking over at the curtain surrounding the bed, she saw that no one appeared to be nearby and leaned down to capture his mouth with hers.

The kiss deepened until Deeks's heart monitor started to shrill. They sprang apart just in time, as the doctor rushed into his room, thinking he was crashing. She stopped short at the two ruffled people who were trying, and failing, to look innocent. The right side of her mouth quirked up in a hastily suppressed smile. She turned to the nurse who had followed her. "False alarm Bobbie. You can go. I'll check in with my patient." The same nurse from before, nodded curtly and left the room as quickly as possible, leaving those behind feeling like she was afraid there was something there that could contaminate her.

Annie turned and introduced herself to the detective. Deeks grinned at her, happy that someone here was treating him like a human and Annie lost her train of thought for a moment. His grin faded and he frowned. "Everything okay doc?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! Yes, of course! It's just that this cloak and dagger stuff is not something we run into every day." Deeks smiled at her again and she drifted from her thoughts for the second time, staring at him intently. Kensi's eyes narrowed, she knew exactly what was going on; she'd seen it too many times before. She cleared her throat and the doctor blinked. "Oh, so, anyway, I thought you might want these back if you want to keep up your undercover persona." She handed him the container with the teeth in it and he laughed delightedly as he reached for it.

"Thanks doc! Appreciate it!"

Kensi had a bad thought. "The surgical team…"

Annie interrupted her. "Your Ms. Lange already took care of that. Dr. Wells and his team were briefed and have agreed to keep quiet about what they…saw."

Absent mindedly, both Deeks and Kensi said. "Miss."

"Excuse me?"

Deeks responded, smiling widely at her again, his rotted teeth back in place. "Sorry, Hetty prefers Miss. Although she really prefers just Hetty."

"Oh, ok then." Getting back to business, she asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Awake. Sore. Had a headache but nurse Bobbie gave me some Tylenol and it's already taking effect." He lowered his voice and said conspiratorially. "I don't think she likes me very much."

She laughed in return, knowing that the others thought he worked for the worst of the worst and was happy not to be laboring under the same misrepresentation. "That's good to hear. I mean, that you're feeling better, not that Bobbie doesn't like you. I mean, she doesn't understand what's going on. Not that I really do but…" She stopped babbling and pulled herself together. "I'll start working on getting you into a room. Normally someone in your…financial condition…would be put in a ward but I think we can use your position of being a prisoner to warrant a private room."

"Thanks Dr. Bertrand." Kensi got up and held out her hand.

"You're welcome and _I_ prefer Annie." She said as she took the agent's hand.

"Annie, I'm Kensi and this is Marty, or Deeks as he is most often known." Deeks waved from the bed and they both smiled at him.

"I'll be back in a little while." Annie winked at them. "Don't go anywhere, okay?"

They both smiled back and readily agreed that, no, they wouldn't be going anywhere.

~,~,~,~

Charlie Porter worked his way from room to room. Child Protective Services was here in full force, child psychologists were underfoot no matter which way he turned. He ran into Chet coming out of Beth's room. "How's she doing?"

Chet sighed. "She wants Artie. I tried to tell her that he's sick and can't come right now but then she starts asking for her mother. I've told her that her mom would be here as soon as possible but then she just asks for Artie again."

A hesitant voice sounded behind them. "Would it help if I sat with her?" They both turned to find Penny standing there. Her eyes were clearer, as the drugs were almost worn off, but the sadness and distrust in her eyes remained. "She seemed to like me when Artie…when Artie brought her in."

Charlie and Chet shared a look and both shrugged. Chet turned and said. "If you wouldn't mind Penny; that would be wonderful. I'm sure she would like to see you again." The teenager nodded once and headed into the room, giving Charlie a wide berth. The two watched her go, knowing that she had a long road ahead of her, both determined that she would get all the help she needed to come out the other side in one piece. They followed quietly and watched as Beth flung herself into Penny's arms and the girl hugged the child to her. It looked like both could take solace from the other, for now. The two men quietly left the room.

Outside, they both stopped and stared at nothing, thinking about what they'd seen, what they could only imagine had happened. They were pulled from their musings by Hetty's voice. "Chet, Mr. Porter? I thought you'd like to know that our friend is out of surgery and will be making a full recovery. The doctor is arranging a room for him now and you can both visit, along with Trip and Dodger. I think your work here is done for now?"

The two turned to her and nodded. Charlie replied. "Between Trip, Dodger and Chet, they knew all but two of the children here. They've given their names to the doctor's. Trip and Dodger have already gone back to the Row with Jim Franklin to start putting a plan into place with the Protectors to get the word to the parents that their children have been found and that there are rides waiting to bring them here. We agreed not to tell any of them what the children had been taken for. The psychologists here will deal with that when the time comes."

Chet said. "They'll want to know about Artie right away."

"I'll make sure to inform Mr. Franklin to pass on the news, if he hasn't already. He was there when we all got the good news."

"Thank you." He stopped and then added hesitantly. "Has Maggie been taken into custody?"

"Yes, she has. Two of my agents arrested her, with your friend Christy's help. Her co-conspirator, Mr. Riley, gladly gave her up and we have his sworn testimony concerning how she helped him take the children. She will be spending a long time behind bars. By the way, my named is Henrietta Lange." Her name sent a small shiver down his back. Hiding it, he put out his hand to shake the one proffered, not holding on for long, turning to stare out the window at the end of the hall.

He wished he could feel good about this but found only more sadness. They had trusted Maggie and she had betrayed them, all of them, not just Christy and those within her territory. Maybe the Protectors had been a bad idea. Had they fostered a false sense of security so that people had let their guard down? Were they responsible, in any way, no matter how small, for what had happened to these children?

He felt a small hand on his arm. "You must not blame yourself for this! She was a woman who allowed herself to be used by a man she fancied herself in love with. It had nothing to do with the Protector organization you and the rest set up. That organization is the only reason we were able to stop this! You should be proud of what you've accomplished down there and please know that we will be providing any kind of assistance we can. I've already had many of my agents requesting ways to volunteer their personal time and asking about making donations to help wherever they can. I know it's a large undertaking, but each journey starts with a single, small step." He looked down into the eyes of the woman he'd been introduced to just moments before and felt an unexpected kinship. He smiled and let himself be pulled from his melancholy.

~,~,~,~

Once Deeks was settled into a large private room, one which Hetty had more to do with than Dr. Bertrand, the rest of the team trickled in, wanting to see him in person to reassure themselves that he was okay. Hetty, Chet and Charlie were missing but Granger told them they had gone to the children's ward to check in and were still there. He also told them that Jim had left to go back to the Row with Trip and Dodger to start gathering the parents but sent his well wishes. Deeks asked about how the children were doing and was answered by Hetty who'd just arrived with Chet and Charlie in tow. "They're doing as well as can be expected Artie. They will need to spend time with some professionals to get them through the coming days, but rest assured, the help will be there."

Deeks swallowed hard. "Were they…? I mean, did the doctors say…?" He couldn't seem to finish the questions.

She went to his bedside and put her hand on his. "Yes, I'm afraid so my dear. All of them, except Beth of course."

He closed his eyes and turned his hand over, gripping hers tightly. "I don't understand."

"And that's a good thing. Our understanding isn't required. Just the ability and the drive to stop them." She watched him anxiously, knowing that his time undercover and the things that he'd had to do, weighed heavily on him. He was quiet, as were the rest in the room, each thinking private thoughts.

A loud dinging startled them all. Nell blushed and pulled her tablet out of her bag. "Sorry! It's an alert on one of the programs I've been running up in Ops. Maybe we have a lead on one of the children whose names we don't know, or Penny's parents." She entered some commands and her eyes widened. She looked up from the tablet and sought out Chet. He looked at her and sighed. "You…"

"Me?" He tried asking innocently.

Nell handed the tablet to Callen as he was the one who kept thinking Chet looked familiar. His mouth dropped open as he looked from the screen to the man in front of him. He snapped it shut and said. "Chester Moreland! No wonder I thought you looked familiar!"

The rest of the team looked bewildered, their eyes darting from Chet to Callen. Finally Sam said. "G! You want to let the rest of us in on this?"

Callen looked at Chet who shrugged wearily. "You might as well. The cat's out of the bag already."

"The reason Chet looked so familiar to me was that I saw his face on a wall at Langley, every single time I walked in or out of the building."

Deeks was the first to speak. "Um, hopefully not on the most wanted list?"

Callen laughed and then sobered. "No, on the Memorial Wall."

Sam frowned. "How were his name and picture up on the wall if he's still alive and standing here?"

Callen looked at Chet who was silent for a moment and then began. "You're right, my name was Chester Moreland and I was a top operative for the CIA in my time."

Callen interrupted. "You were more than a top operative, you were a legend! A legend supposedly lost in the explosion of an abandoned factory being used by a militia group to house weapons they planned on using to overthrow the government. A group you helped take down by giving your life! There was nothing but ash left, they couldn't find any bodies it burned so hot, for so long."

All eyes in the room turned to Chet and he smiled kind of sickly at them. "I did help to take them down, but I was able to escape the building just as it blew. I was hurt and out of it for a while. When I came to my senses, the papers said I was missing, presumed dead in the explosion, not that my name was actually mentioned, just that a CIA agent was missing and hailed as a hero. I was tired. Tired of the rat race. Starting to question some of the things that the CIA had me do, things they'd sanctioned that the average US citizen has no inkling of. I know that, for the most part, those things were done to protect our country. It was the not so most part that kept me awake at night. Remember, I was part of the CIA during the cold war. I felt I'd done my part and I saw a way to just walk away from it all, without worrying about the CIA looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life, worrying about what I might give away, accidentally or on purpose. I ended up living on the streets in the beginning as I only had the clothes on my back and a small amount of money in my wallet. I couldn't exactly walk into a bank and withdraw money from a dead man's savings account nor could I use his identification. Eventually, it got to be my way of life."

There was silence in the room. Each of them thinking about what they'd just heard. Each thinking about the things they'd done in the name of patriotism or the law, the people they'd used and who had been hurt in the aftermath. Deeks's thoughts along these lines were the most fresh, his worry over what would happen to Beth during that long night, knowing that what he was doing was for the greater good but still knowing it didn't feel right. He wondered what he would have done if he'd had a chance to just vanish with Beth, to keep her safe from harm. He looked at the people in his life and was sure he'd never walk away from them, but if they hadn't been there? He was pretty sure he would have taken what was offered and disappeared.

Making a decision, he reached out a hand and said. "Agent Chester Moreland? My name is Detective Marty Deeks, LAPD, and I am honored to meet you."

~,~,~,~

A couple hours later, Deeks was lightly dozing when a knock on the door startled him fully awake. "Come in." The door opened and Callen walked through, closing it behind him. "Hey."

"Hey partner. Where's Kensi?" Deeks grinned when he caught that Callen had called him partner. It made him feel ridiculously warm inside.

"I sent her down to get something to eat. She's barely left my side for hours and you know how she gets when she isn't fed!"

Callen laughed. "Oh yeah, been there, done that! Good choice!" He moved further into the room and took the empty seat by the bed that had so recently been occupied by Deeks's normal partner. He'd been relieved to find Deeks alone. He needed to get this over and done with so he could report back to Hetty and Granger that they'd had 'the talk'. "So, you want to explain yourself?"

Cringing internally, but putting on a carefully constructed bewildered face, Deeks replied. "About what?"

Callen sighed. He'd known Deeks was going to be difficult over this. "Explain why you broke protocol and didn't inform us you'd been injured." He spoke without anger but with an undercurrent of the authority being the team lead gave him.

Deeks looked at Callen out of the corner of his eye and debated using one of his patented deflection routines but caught himself. The two of them had shared many a confidence on the long op down at the Row and he found himself wanting to make the older man understand. He wiggled a little on the bed, trying to get more comfortable, trying to buy himself some time to marshal his thoughts. Callen sat quietly, watching every emotion play across his friend's face. He started when he realized that he did count Deeks as a friend, a close one at that and one he'd come to care a great deal about. He waited patiently for Deeks to make up his mind. He knew the moment the other man was ready and he made a snap decision that he would forget his original idea of reading him the riot act as to why his actions were wrong and just listen. If what he heard made sense, he'd tone it down to something more along the lines of don't do it again and we need you to be safe. Maybe just…we need you.

"What would you have done, Grisha?" Deeks went on the offensive, knowing full well that his team lead and friend had gone off reservation more than once. Hell, he should know, he'd been beside him on more than one occasion, right from the start, beginning with Prague.

Callen was startled, both by the fact that Deeks had called him by his first name and that he'd turned the tables on him. "I would've let someone know I was hurt and followed whatever orders then came my way." Even he didn't believe the words as they left his mouth.

Deeks lifted an eyebrow and stared at him. "And what do you think those orders would have been?"

"To pull the plug on the operation and get you medical assistance." The words sounded hollow and hung quietly between them.

"And exactly how would the plug have been pulled?"

Callen wondered when he had become the interrogated instead of the interrogator. He found himself thinking that Deeks had probably been a hell of a lawyer. "We would have stopped the van and put Dimitri and his friend in custody. Gotten you the medical attention you needed and hoped that the two men would turn on their boss with enough information that we could arrest her as well."

"You're in a van with two armed men who have already proven to have little to no morals. With you is a small innocent child who trusts you implicitly. You're hurt but, at the time, you don't think it's all that bad. You have two choices, keep quiet and follow through, which gives you the best chance to keep the child safe and bring down _all_ the people doing this or notify your team that you've been injured and wait for the shooting to begin, endangering yourself further and putting the child in more danger than she'd ever been in since the beginning. How do you think that would have played out Callen?" He was starting to get angry and it showed in his voice and what name he now chose to call the man sitting so calmly by his bed.

"You're convinced Dimitri and his partner wouldn't have just surrendered when confronted with armed federal agents?" He really wanted to know Deeks's opinion.

"Yes, I absolutely think they would have gone out shooting! At a minimum, they would have used Beth as a shield. They didn't care about her! She was just a piece of merchandise to them! Easily gotten and completely expendable. There were more where she came from! I don't think either one would have let themselves be taken into custody at that point. And remember, they thought I was still on their side at the time, which gave them more numbers."

"Dimitri surrendered without a shot at the house."

"Different circumstances." Deeks shot back. "Pavel was already down and most likely in custody. He didn't have access to a vehicle to get away in. He was pretty sure that the man he'd trusted and brought into the business was a cop. Plus, didn't Kensi tell me that was right after Seavers tried to throw him under the bus about the whole operation being his idea and that she'd come there to fire him that night? And….there was no Beth to bargain with."

Callen absorbed his explanation. "And when you disobeyed Hetty's orders to find shelter and let the rest of us take them down?"

This time Deeks looked away and a flush stained his cheeks. "Training." He mumbled.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Deeks turned and looked him right in the eyes. "My LAPD training, to keep the suspects as contained as possible, kicked in."

Callen narrowed his eyes as he heard something else that was unspoken. "Is that all?"

Deeks's eyes flicked away; a sure fire tell that he was trying to hide something. "That's all."

"Deeks?" Callen tried to get him to look him in the eyes again but the man was stubborn. Quietly he added. "Marty? Are you sure it wasn't the guilt?"

Startled blue met calm blue. "Guilt?" He breathed out.

"Do you think you're the only one who felt taking Beth and using her as bait was the wrong thing to do? Intellectually, it made sense. In the heart? It felt wrong. Our brains overrode our hearts, knowing it was for the greater good and we'd put every failsafe in place to make sure she would stay safe but in here…" He paused and patted his chest. "…in here…it went against everything I knew to be right."

"And yet, you still went along with it."

"Training."

Deeks blinked a little at having his words thrown back at him. "It just about killed me Grisha." He said in a whisper. His hands fisted in the blanket.

Surprising even himself, Callen reached out, put a hand over the fist closest to him and squeezed. "I know Marty. But you have to walk away from this knowing that what we did saved, at a minimum, eleven children. If left unchecked, who knows how many more Seavers might have gotten her hands on? Who knows what would have happened to those kids when her clients got tired of them? And Beth walked away unscathed, except for a little fright and an adventure. What we did? That mattered!"

"I don't know if I could do that again." The raw pain in Deeks's eyes floored Callen.

He again squeezed the fist he had covered. "I know. And I don't think I could ask you to do that again, partner. I just want you to know something. I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you. But, you also have to know that you matter to us. You can't take chances with your life like that!"

"I never saw it as taking a chance with my life. I knew you guys were out there. I had complete faith that you'd come rushing in to save the day." He forced a smile onto his lips.

Callen sighed. "Okay then, this little talk is over…just…don't do it again and we'll consider the matter closed."

"Done."

Callen nodded and stood up. "Okay, I have tons of paperwork to do on this and we're still digging through what we found at the house. I'll see you later?"

"Sure. Thanks for coming by…and…for everything."

Callen nodded again and walked to the door. His hand was on the knob when he heard Deeks speak. "So." There was a pregnant pause. "You're _proud_ of me _partner_?"

The teasing in the man's voice was music to his ears. He knew there would be some lingering doubts about this case that would haunt the detective, if not all of them, during the coming weeks, but he really did believe that they could all work through it. In keeping with the tone of the current conversation, Callen leaned his head against the door and whispered loud enough for Deeks to hear. "I _knew_ I should have kept that to myself!" He lifted his head and began to gently bang it against the door again and again to the sound of breathless laughter coming from the bed behind him.

~,~,~,~

Laura and Meaghan came by to see him later in the afternoon, both shedding a tear or two the first time they saw him. "Are you trying to take years off my life Marty?" Was the first thing Laura asked.

"Laura, I didn't mean for this to happen, it just did." He made puppy dog eyes at her, asking for her forgiveness.

"That won't work with me little brother! I worry about you." But she found herself fluffing up his pillows as Meaghan smirked behind her. Deeks winked at her while Laura wasn't looking, or so he thought.

"Marty! Don't corrupt your niece! I mean it, you were hurt and you hid it from everyone. You can't do that!"

Deeks sobered. "I wouldn't normally, Laura, I promise! It's just that the...circumstances...required it." He looked at Laura and then at Meaghan, not sure what the young girl had been told.

"She knows what those children were taken for, she figured it out pretty quickly." Laura sighed, resigned that this man who'd become so important to her, would always be at risk due to his job. A job he would never leave, one that was as much a part of him as the messy hair. She was just going to have to deal with it. She reached out and smoothed that hair down, reaching down to drop a kiss on his forehead. "I don't like that you put yourself in danger, but I want you to know that I'm very proud of you. You got those children out of one of the worst situations I could imagine. You're a hero!"

"Hardly a hero, Laura! Besides, it was a team effort, it wasn't like I did it all on my own."

"I know that but, you'll always be a hero to me." He blushed and she smiled through the tears that had reappeared.

He reached up and brushed one away. "I love you sis."

"I love you too, little bro." She leaned down and hugged him gently, mindful of his injuries. Not wanting to be left out, Meaghan moved in and joined the hug.

When they all pulled back, everyone's eyes were damp until Deeks grinned and asked. "Okay, do you love me enough to sneak some In and Out past the nurses? I'm starving and I hate hospital food!"

"Hmmm, no, I don't think that I do love you enough for that!" She leaned down and whispered loud enough for Meaghan to hear as well. "Nurses scare me!"

"Don't worry Uncle Marty, I love you enough and they don't scare me at all!" They all started to laugh, Laura and Meaghan relieved that he was going to be fine, this time anyway. They visited for awhile and when they left, they promised to be back the next day, leaving their love for Kensi, who Deeks had finally convinced to go home to catch up on some sleep.

A couple hours later, the door opened quietly and Meaghan came back in, furtively looking behind her. Deeks raised an eyebrow and waited as she quietly closed the door behind her. She put her backpack on the chair and opened it. From inside she pulled out a familiar colored bag and he felt his mouth water in anticipation at the smell. "In and Out!" He breathed out softly, reaching for the bag.

She held it just out of his reach. "What do you say?"

"I say thank you, my most wonderful niece Meaghan! I love you!"

"I love you too, Uncle Marty!" She handed him the bag and pulled another one out for herself. They ate in silence, happy in each others company.

~,~,~,~

Epilogue

Arrest warrants were issued for the male CEO's of three highly respected and wealthy national companies whose headquarters were located in the LA area, along with the female CEO and female CFO of another. Records indicated that the two women shared their arrangements with Rachel, visiting the children together. The owners of three smaller, local companies, two male and two female, one a husband and wife duo, were also indicted. In addition, one Senator from Nevada, who'd made his way across the state border to find what he'd wanted, found himself being served. All on the grounds of child endangerment and sex with a minor. Other warrants for sex traffic, not with a minor, were issued for thirty-two other people.

Due to the media circus surrounding Rachel Seavers arrest, three of the warrants were served to empty houses, the intended recipients well aware of the repercussions should the woman talk, none of them having any idea of the records she'd kept. These people used their wealth and connections to get out of the country quickly, but NCIS made sure they made it to the most wanted list. For those without the kind of resources, or the time, needed to flee, the media coverage was harsh and glaring. For the three who'd fled, their names and pictures were plastered over most newspapers and newscasts, detailing how they'd fled the country to avoid prosecution and for what they would have been prosecuted for. Countries as far away as Australia picked up the news feeds. Reports of sightings flooded in from all over the world during the following weeks, most of them incorrect. One poor innocent man in Thailand, there on vacation, had been beaten severely when a mob had thought he was one of the men who'd escaped what he'd done.

Several police officers, including four Lieutenants and one Captain, all of whom were listed on Seavers's payroll and who had ensured she was never investigated, were also up on charges. Charges that would stick due to the diligence of Rachel in her record keeping and a certain pair of NCIS analysts who dug deeply into everyone's financial records.

The children were reunited with their parents, except for Penny, when it was discovered that she'd run away for good reason. She was now in a good foster home where several NCIS agents were keeping an eye on them. They still didn't know her real name. The children and their parents, biological and foster, were meeting with psychologists to try to make sense of what had happened. Apartments and jobs had been found for those that wanted work, with every effort made to keep the children with their parents. The children who no one knew were missing to start with, who had never been reported to the Protectors as being gone because the parents had been relieved that they could get on with their lives without the burden of taking care of them, also went into foster homes and were up for adoption. The parents signed over their rights quickly, for no remuneration, when a very large and very muscular federal agent tracked them down and handed them paper and pen, accompanied by a fierce glare.

Many toys, new clothing and school supplies, along with medicines for both two and four legged children made their way down to the row. Pets of the Homeless saw an increase in their donations from those agents with their own fur babies. Most weekends will find any number of NCIS agents helping out where they can on Skid Row. The Protectors continue on, their mission shored up by praise from both grateful parents and the agency they had worked with. Callen spends time with Chet, discussing their CIA days when no one is around. His identity will never be shared unless he decides to do it himself. To everyone down the Row, he's still just Chet. Artie makes an appearance now and again, keeping an eye on things, his coat a little more torn and tattered. Other than the Protectors, and one or two of their closest confidants, are even aware that he had anything to do with the children being found and Maggie's arrest for her part it in. He sometimes joins Chet and Callen, listening to their tales of daring-do in other countries with enjoyment, contributing his own, closer to home, stories now and again.

At first Beth's mother had been so angry at him that she'd refused to see him, and continued to do so for quite a while, even when it was explained that her child had never been out of sight of federal agents. He was devastated but only Kensi knew that. Eventually, Beth wore her down and she'd agreed to see him and they'd cleared the air, his obvious distress about what he'd done going a long way to convince her he took the situation seriously. Both Beth and her mother were now living comfortably in their own small apartment. Deeks had gotten Beth's mom a job with an old friend, who was sworn to secrecy that he would never mention the detective's involvement, not that she knew who he really was. He wouldn't have put it past her to quit immediately if she somehow found out and put two and two together. Her forgiveness only went so far.

Both John Shelton and Daniel Parkinson had felt guilty that their request for help had led to Deeks being hurt. Deeks had just brushed their concerns away, telling them it had been an honor to do whatever he could to stop Seaver's business and that they should be proud that their request had led to this. David had brought Carrie to see him when he was in the hospital. He was getting the new treatments and felt good, reassuring everyone that he had meant it when he said he'd stick with it this time. Callen had reassured him that he'd meant every word he'd spoken to him.

Laura and John were creating a charity that would help the children down the Row get the medical care, clothes and education they needed. They'd wanted to call it Artie's Army but Deeks had refused, wanting Artie to stay in the background. They were still arguing over the name but the help had already begun.

Kensi continues to help him try to get over the guilt of using a child the way they'd had to. Beth's mom's eventual capitulation going a long way to heal that wound. He still isn't sure about the whole "we had to" angle. He's put the whole idea about becoming a federal agent on the back burner for now, although everyone at NCIS mentions it now and again, and again, and again. After all, he has more important things on his plate. He has a wedding to prepare for!

~,~,~,~

A/N – Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Sorry for the delay in this last chapter but it's been a long few weeks. I think my next story will be the wedding, although I don't anticipate it being much longer than one or two chapters. Feel free to send me prompts of all the things that can go wrong with a Densi wedding up to, and including, the actual ceremony! Who knows, maybe there will be enough fun stuff to make it longer! And I need it to be fun…

A/N2 – thanks to honus47 for being an awesome beta! AND I just found out she's a Scaper and Browncoat! How cool is that?

A/N3 - Guest reviewer, fixed chapter 17 and removed tourniquet. Also working on updating chapter 3's A/N. Not sure what to do about distance between Reseda and Skid Row. Mulling some things over now.


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